Setting the tone

Ibrahim Nafie lauds the opening of the national dialogue on reform

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The reform process in Egypt is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional national project based on a clear and concrete assessment of the country's needs and priorities. The endeavour has already yielded tangible results in the economic domain which was the starting point of project. The Egyptian pound has risen against foreign currencies, the Central Bank's reserves have increased and the stock market is more active than ever. In addition, Egypt received an unprecedented eight million tourists last year, reflecting a range of economic, political and security factors that have combined to make Egypt a prime tourist destination.

Egypt's domestically-driven reform programme has earned acclaim from regional and international quarters. The Associated Press has praised it as "bold", adding that the policies of the Nazif government have prompted many international companies to contemplate diverting some of their investments from Asian markets to Egypt. Microsoft's Bill Gates offers tangible proof of this trend. The progress that Egypt has made within a short span of time has set it firmly on the path to integration in the global economy, he said. This has encouraged his company to multiply its investments in Egypt and sign with the Egyptian government an agreement to establish joint projects in the field of information technology.

Nevertheless, there will always be a few who prefer to belittle our accomplishments and harp on secondary concerns. We have long become accustomed to that sad band who ignore fundamental national concerns preferring instead to shout and wail over the international picture. To these I say that President Hosni Mubarak has set a firm and balanced course for regional and international action, consistent with the principles of international legitimacy and solidly within the framework of inter-Arab cooperation. Most significantly he has done so in a manner that does not conflict with national priorities. In his interview with Egyptian editors-in-chief while in Abuja to attend the African Union summit the president was firm: "I will not do anything that might one day be regarded as a black mark on the history of Egypt. This is my duty to the nation and its people."

If the government has taken the economy as its starting point, it is not about to let other areas of reform fall by the wayside. Indeed, this year promises important legislation promoting political reform. The People's Assembly is already studying the Political Party, Exercise of Political Rights and the Democratisation of Occupational Syndicates bills. That this raft of carefully considered measures has been slated for the legislature makes me wonder all the more at those who have reduced the entire issue to the simple phrase constitutional reform.

Amending the constitution is not something that can be done in the abstract; it requires our sights to be trained on the realities on the ground and on the needs and aspirations of the Egyptian people. The Egyptian people currently see their interests as being best served by measures to strengthen the economy. They want higher incomes, lower prices, more jobs and better public services. Any amendment process must be kept squarely within the context of the hopes shared by the vast majority of Egyptians.

In keeping with his conviction that reform is a national enterprise that must engage the energies of all legitimate political forces in Egypt, President Mubarak has called for a national dialogue, the purpose of which is to promote participation. Taking up this call, the National Democratic Party initiated the first round of dialogue on Monday. The representatives of 15 parties voiced their appreciation for the spirit in which this dialogue had been initiated, a spirit encapsulated in the phrase "citizenship rights and democracy", adopted by the NDP as the banner for its national convention in September. The NDP, for its part, underscored the nature of the dialogue as a collaborative endeavour in which all parties were invited to engage on equal footing in the pursuit of a collective vision.

It was heartening to see a general consensus among the participants over so many pivotal reform issues. Nothing could have better demonstrated just how much more constructive dialogue is as opposed to mutual recriminations and playing to the gallery. Because of the calm and rational spirit that prevailed the round was an unqualified success, laying sturdy foundations for future work. It clearly established that reform is a cumulative process and that priorities must be identified on the basis of a clear perception of the needs and dynamics of change. Furthermore, the opposition parties came to understand the government's stance on the question of constitutional reform. There will be amendments, but after the presidential referendum and in accordance with a set timeframe and the understanding that constitutional reform is not an end in itself but part and parcel of the overall process of reform.

The first round of the national dialogue concluded with the creation of a three- member committee, consisting of NDP Assistant Secretary-General Kamal El-Shazli, Chairman of the Tagammu Party Rifaat El- Said and Wafd Party leader Noman Gomaa. They will follow through on the issues discussed in this round. The committee's primary task will be to review plans for comprehensive reform and formulate a concrete agenda for national action to be presented in subsequent rounds.

I have no doubt whatsoever that if the national dialogue between Egypt's political parties continues in the spirit with which it began, and succeeds in producing a collective vision for reform and development, then the Egyptian experience will be hailed as a model for other countries in the Arab world. This, alone, should inspire all political parties to take up President Mubarak's challenge to them to place national welfare above all other considerations.