Pulling together

Ibrahim Nafie urges political forces to unite and not squander the opportunities that will come with the amendment of Article 76

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President Mubarak's decision to amend Article 76 of the constitution to provide for direct multi-candidate elections marks a historic turning point in Egypt's political life. Regardless of their differences, commentators from across the political spectrum agree that the proposed amendment heralds a new beginning in the process of comprehensive political reform.

As positive and objective as their reactions were few looked beyond the decision itself to contemplate the long and arduous process of translating it into practice. Many laws and regulations governing everything from nomination procedures through the tabulation of the ballots will have to be brought in line with the amendment. These issues need to be discussed and there is nothing better for this purpose than a broad-based national dialogue between Egyptian political forces, hopefully in the same constructive spirit that characterised the response to the president's historic decision.

Dialogue is the only means to resolve national issues, particularly ones as fateful as constitutional amendments that will shape the general framework of Egypt's political, economic and social life. However, for dialogue to be productive we must summon as objective and dispassionate spirit as possible, together with a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to Egypt's higher interests. What we must avoid is the tendency to merely spout off at the mouth, which is merely a way to avoid having to think and the strain of rallying one's arguments effectively in the debate. Talk is easy. It is easier still to throw out pre-set opinions of the it's-no-use sort, which will only drag us backward.

When President Mubarak issued his recommendations regarding the amendment of Article 76 he extended an invitation to legal and other experts for contributions on this and other reform related issues. In so doing the president clearly hoped to establish a new approach to handling national concerns, one that will engage a diversity of views and opinions.

The president has outlined his own views on the nomination regulations necessary to safeguard the prestige and integrity of the presidency. We should all share this concern. Egypt is a country in which the presidency is central to political system and whose president, moreover, is the leader of the largest and one of the most regionally and internationally influential Arab nations. The changes we make, therefore, can serve as a beacon to other countries in the region and the Third World. But this entails erecting solid barriers against foreign intervention in the form of vote purchasing and the like.

Given the importance of such considerations the rapidity with which some aired their scepticism over the proposed amendment came as a surprise. "All we will get is a masked referendum" was one typical, cynical response. Such knee-jerk negativity is both premature and counterproductive. The regulations and safeguards have not yet been established and the arena remains open to constructive ideas.

What, one wonders, are the sceptics really after? Everyone agrees that the president's decision is a historic breakthrough and that a multi-candidate electoral process requires some essential controls. It is also clear that all contributions in this regard are welcome. But if the bill is not ready for the People's Assembly we will have to wait at least a year for the next opportunity. Is this what they want?

Egypt stands at an unprecedented threshold. Certainly, a constitutional amendment of this magnitude requires political forces to work together to propel it forward. For my part, I would like to offer some ideas on the subject, the first of which pertains to the electoral supervisory committee. With all due respect to the current speaker of the People's Assembly and speaker of the Shura Council, I do not believe that the holders of these offices should be on this committee as this would entail a conflict of interest. Both the current speakers are high ranking members of the NDP and regardless of their integrity and determination to remain impartial it is difficult to imagine that they can entirely set aside their partisan sympathies. I stress, here, that this opinion has nothing to do with specific individuals and everything to do with establishing an important principle in the process of reform, which is that the impartiality of the electoral supervisory committee be above all suspicion. For this reason the committee should consist of nonpartisan individuals who enjoy a reputation for their intellectual and political contributions to the nation.

I appeal to the Egypt's political forces to support this position. At the same time I am certain they have contributions of their own regarding guarantees for the integrity of the electoral process. I believe, for example, that all political parties and their candidates should have an equal opportunity to present their platforms to the public and I am sure that many will be forthcoming with ideas on how to ensure equal access to the media and the impartiality of election officials and bodies. What is important is that political parties take advantage of the historic opportunity to establish their presence and promote their views in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. At the same time, they must adopt a forward-looking vision and contemplate how best they might contribute to changes that will shape our future.

President Mubarak has given them all possible encouragement. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the second Arab Reform Conference he said: "The eagerness with which the political parties came forward with their ideas regarding my recommendation for a constitutional amendment is proof of their earnest desire to be partners in enhancing the foundations of democracy and formulating visions for the future that will see greater vitality in Egypt's political life. We will always support positive, constructive dialogue so that, together, we can formulate the best means to strengthen the course of democracy through a purely domestically inspired approach that safeguards our higher national interests."