Issue No. 600
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22 - 28 August 2002 Issue No. 600 Home news |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Out with the old?
Political pundits hailed the president's call for an end to the old guard's monopoly of the ruling NDP's highest ranks, seeing it as a signal for the party's younger generation to come into its own. Gamal Essam El-Din reports
At the end of a 13 August meeting with members of the ruling National Democratic Party's (NDP) old guard, President Hosni Mubarak, who is also the NDP's chairman, announced that the party's highest ranks must not be monopolised by just a few of its members. "The NDP is a party for all Egyptians and its membership is open to all citizens," Mubarak said. "All NDP members also have the guaranteed right to occupy -- in a democratic manner -- the party's leading posts. [These posts] must not be the exclusive monopoly of a particular group or another."
Mubarak's emphatic statement must have come as a shock for the NDP's old guard, who monopolise the highest ranks of the party's secretariat-general and politburo. Informed sources described the president's statement as a clear indicator that the NDP's eighth congress, scheduled for 15 September, may feature a significant shake-up of the party's leadership, bringing to an end the old guard's long-time hegemony over its ranks.
By the old guard, analysts primarily mean Youssef Wali, the NDP's secretary-general, and his two assistant secretary-generals -- Kamal El-Shazli, who is also the party's secretary for organisational affairs, and Safwat El-Sherif, the NDP's secretary for information. Wali, El-Shazli and El-Sherif have held these leading positions since 1985.
But while it may have inspired dismay in some quarters, Mubarak's announcement was praised by pundits and political analysts, who argued that the recent internal reforms undertaken by the party needed to be capped with just such a re-invigoration of its highest ranks.
Galal Dweidar, chief editor of Al-Akhbar newspaper, wrote that Mubarak's announcement was sure to pave the way "for highly respected cadres taking charge of the NDP's leading posts. These posts can no longer be reserved for opportunists who are well known for chasing after personal gains."
Ragab El-Banna, editor of the weekly magazine, October, asserted that the announcement was a breath of fresh air for the NDP. El-Banna said that in October 2000, with parliamentary elections at the door, the ruling party was in a state of complete paralysis. "At the time," wrote El-Banna, "the old guard's grip on the party's highest ranks strongly rejected any bid for modernisation." According to El-Banna, Gamal Mubarak -- a leading member of the NDP's secretariat-general -- must be allowed to fully reinvigorate the party's ranks and raise its efficacy. "I know, however," wrote El-Banna, "that the fact that Gamal is President Hosni Mubarak's son might be viewed with such a high degree of sensitivity that it could stand in the way of him leading the party into the next stage. This is in addition to the fact that the NDP's old guard will certainly do their best to avoid being easily defeated."
At the same time, said El-Banna, there is no cause for such sensitivity since "Gamal Mubarak will be the people's, rather than his father's, choice to lead the party."
The younger Mubarak was entrusted by the NDP secretariat -- at the start of the party's recent reform process -- with carrying out an agenda which included restructuring the party, reinvigorating its ranks and refining its political vision. According to pundits, tensions between Gamal Mubarak and the NDP's old guard have already passed through three stages, with a climax of events expected to take place during the NDP's eighth congress next month.
The first stage took place immediately following the NDP's poor performance in the 2000 parliamentary elections, when, in January 2001, Gamal Mubarak introduced a package of internal reforms aimed at improving the party's image and stripping the old guard of some of their powers -- such as the right to select the party's candidates in general elections. Gamal Mubarak also managed to introduce internal statutes preventing the party's MPs from being appointed chairmen of the party's governorate offices.
The second stage came late last year with Gamal Mubarak's call for internal elections to be held for party positions at three levels -- village, town and city, and governorate. These elections further eroded some of the old guard's powers, including the right to appoint their most loyal MPs as chairmen of the party's town and city offices. Mubarak also insisted that the party's secretaries for youth affairs should not be over 40 years old.
The third stage was revealed on 12 August at a meeting of the NDP general secretariat, when Gamal Mubarak again pushed a substantial list of internal reforms, the most astounding of which being that each year a quarter of party positions at all levels should come up for renewal. This will further loosen the old guard's grip.
The big question is whether Gamal Mubarak will replace Wali as the NDP's secretary- general at the forthcoming party congress. Speaking to the Weekly on condition of anonymity, several NDP members expressed their desire to see such a change taking place. They suggested that government ministers, such as Wali, should not double-up as party leaders.
Some NDP insiders, however, believe that it is unlikely that Wali will be replaced by Gamal Mubarak. One party insider told Al- Ahram Weekly that "Wali will retain his post as the NDP's secretary-general, while Gamal Mubarak will be promoted to the post of third assistant secretary-general, in addition to El- Shazli and El-Sherif."
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