Soapbox:

Reforming reform

By Amr Elchoubaki

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Something is terribly wrong with the reform document drafted lately by the country's opposition parties. This document approaches democratic reform as if it is a Christmas gift, a charity handed out by the government to its opponents.

The document calls on the regime to forget about its massive perks and its monopoly over power and amend the constitution. Yet those who drafted the document have no power whatsoever to make themselves heard; nor do they have any clear perception of why the opposition has been so weakened. Even back in the 1970s and 1980s, the opposition was in a better shape than it is today. And yet, the document suggests that our main problem is the existence of freedom-restricting laws.

We have a much bigger problem. We have an opposition totally incapable of convincing the government to make concessions. We have an opposition totally incapable of inspiring the Egyptian public. We have an opposition totally reluctant to adopt, within their own ranks, the democracy it is clamouring for.

Political and democratic reform does not come from thin air. The opposition must offer the government a reason, an incentive. I don't see any massive protests calling for democracy. The only protests we've had so far were about either Palestine or Iraq. Any talk about political reform should be preceded by the opposition stepping into its responsibilities.

Of course, reform should also be preceded with the introduction of a modern and stable legal system, one ensuring that the laws are faithfully implemented. But we also need an opposition which leads and inspires, an opposition with integrity and clout, an opposition that can make the government listen.

This week's Soapbox speaker is an analyst at the Al-Ahram Political and Strategic Studies Centre.