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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000 Issue No. 501 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000 Issue No. 501
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Votes that count
By Ibrahim Nafie
Egyptian parliamentary elections are now properly in motion. Last Monday marked the deadline for the announcement of nominations and the beginning of the five-day candidate registration process.
With just under three weeks left until voting begins on 18 October, candidates will be doing their utmost to urge voters to the polls. The importance of such efforts to stimulate popular participation in the electoral process cannot be understated. Indeed, political apathy has been so pervasive, and long-standing, that all sectors of government, the media and civil society must shoulder the responsibility for encouraging a high voter turnout.
That the government has lent its full backing to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and that, for the first time in Egyptian parliamentary history there is to be full judicial supervision over both the primary and auxiliary polling stations should do much to inspire confidence in the electoral process. In fact, we already have a solid indicator of a higher level of confidence. With 2,861 candidates listed within the first two days of the registration process alone the number of candidates in this year's elections should far exceed the 3,980 candidates who ran in 1995.
Other measures under consideration in order to safeguard the integrity of the balloting process should also act to inspire greater enthusiasm. It has been proposed, for example, that the judges monitoring the polling stations countersign the ballots so as to obviate any tampering between the time the votes are cast and the time the ballot boxes reach the general electoral board where the count takes place.
In a similar spirit, in a statement to Al-Musawwar on 22 September, Minister of Interior Habib El-Adli suggested that the judicial supervisor at each polling station should oversee the secure delivery of the ballot boxes to the general electoral board. The supervisor, he said, should personally affix the red seal on the ballot box and charge a member of his committee to accompany the box on its route to the general electoral board, accompany it himself or, alternatively, appoint a team representing the various political parties to undertake that task. He went on to stress that the role of the police in this process was solely to ensure the safety of the delivery, adding that his ministry was committed to safeguarding the most secure possible environment for the democratic process.
Al-Adli's statement is perfectly in tune with President Mubarak's instructions to all government agencies to maintain the most scrupulous non-partisanship in the performance of their allocated functions and duties during the elections. The spirit of fair play the government hopes to foster through such policies, in conjunction with recent legislative amendments, should generate an electoral climate more robust and stimulating than ever before. Such a climate is certain to draw greater public participation among all sectors of society. In this regard, it is heartening to see many more Copts and women declaring their candidacy as independents or as nominees of the National Democratic Party, the Wafd and the Tagammu. The forthcoming elections thus promise to constitute a reaffirmation of the fundamental principle of equality, with no discrimination on the basis of creed or gender.
Many have suggested that the preoccupation with economic hardships may keep many voters away from the polls. Why should people worry about the political agenda of parliamentary candidates when their most pressing concern is simply to make ends meet, they ask. This attitude, while understandable, is shortsighted. If anything, people should turn out to the polls in greater numbers in order to vote in a parliament that is more in touch their concerns and more responsive to the challenge of remedying their economic problems.
There are many reasons, therefore, to expect a high voter turn out. But, as voters go to the polls, what should they look for in the candidates before they cast their vote?
I believe voters should bear in mind three major criteria. Firstly, they should ascertain the integrity of the prospective candidates. No one quality could be more vital, not only to the interests of the voters and their constituencies, but also to the health and reputation of a legislative institution that stands on equal footing with the executive and judicial branches of government.
Secondly, voters should examine candidates for their expertise in political, economic and social affairs. It must be stressed here that one does not have to have served in parliament before to possess this important qualification. It is likely that many first time parliamentary candidates will have acquired such essential expertise in other capacities. And, even if newcomers may not necessarily be able to compete with the old hands in this respect, in their favour is the well-known popular desire to see new faces in parliament.
Finally, voters should gauge which of the candidates most accurately has his or her finger on the pulse of the needs and concerns of his constituency and is most dedicated to serving the interests of that constituency as a whole. Above all, they must ask which of the candidates will best promote the development of his home constituency in such vital areas as health care, agriculture, education, transportation and communications, which bring benefit to all rather than favouring a select group.
In the lead-up to the elections candidates must also bear in mind certain obligations to their constituencies and to the electorate as a whole. They should be as realistic as possible in their electoral pledges so as not to raise hopes that are impossible to realise. In addition, regardless of how intense the competition, candidates must act responsibly and adhere stringently to the rules of fair play. No one concerned for the future of democracy in Egypt wants to see the rabble rousing or bribing of voters that, if only practiced by a few, has so severely tarnished our electoral process in the past.
If candidates abide scrupulously by the law and the principles of honest competition and if voters exercise their critical judgment in the selection of the candidates of their choice, we should be able to create a dynamic and effective legislative body, vigilant in the protection of parliamentary powers and dedicated to the pursuit of the higher interests of the nation.
