Issue No. 600
Opinion
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22 - 28 August 2002 Issue No. 600 Opinion |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Party blues
The impact of ongoing reforms and developments in the National Democratic Party (NDP) are unlikely to be felt before the next general assembly of the NDP in mid-September. And all the evidence suggests that the battle between the old and new guards of the party, on which these reforms depend, has yet to be resolved. The indications are that the forces of the new have yet to flex their muscles, have yet to make their presence felt close to the nerve centres of the party's decision- making apparatus, let alone among the party's grass- roots membership.
Such an initiative on the part of the NDP -- the drive to review its programmes, organisation and principles with an eye on decisive transformations fitting the hopes of Egyptian society in a new century -- is undoubtedly vital for the health of the nation's political life. It would allow Egyptian politics the much needed and, for many, far too long delayed thrust to disperse the stagnation that has spread to party life in general and driven all parties, with the possible exception of Al-Wafd and Al- Tagammu', into such a state of distintegration that nobody knows any longer what they stand for or why they exist. Their role has been reduced to a set of uninspired newspapers with conflicting slogans aimed at the kind of point-scoring that has no relevance to politics.
Insofar as anything at all can be gleaned from the national press elections seem to be taking place, quietly, within the ranks of the NDP, with the object of altering the structure of the party's leadership from top to bottom. The final stages of these elections will be concluded by the time the aforementioned conference is held. For those who have studied the conditions of the NDP -- it is, after all, the largest party and the one most directly responsible for the conditions of political life in Egypt -- it must be clear by now that radical changes are urgently required. No political party in the world has been directed by the same leaders over quite so many years, years during which the political vision of both the party and the government has been frequently redirected as the one-party system and democracy was defined and redefined.
The NDP seeks to provide all Egyptians with access to its policy making mechanisms, an object that cannot be achieved without a profound conviction in democracy and the unsullied application of the principles of free and direct elections. And this, in turn, implies a complete separation between the government and the party and the removal of obstacles that prevent young people from participating in political life and assuming responsibilities. This is particularly true given the current condition, in which whole generations of young people have lost their faith in parties, associating political work with little beyond corruption and the whole-hearted pursuit of self-interest.
In reviewing the framework within which it functions the NDP must concentrate on decentralising power and allowing other parties the opportunity to participate fully in decision- making processes. Party legislation is in dire need of reform, and one of the first casualties of that reform must be the party committee.
The NDP cannot single- handedly manage political life or monopolise power for another half century. Inter-party competition via democratic processes is the route to a richer, less corrupt political life. If the NDP truly takes account of such points, working to realise even some of the aforementioned objectives, the upcoming conference could yet mark the beginning of effective political reform in Egypt.
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