Behind the president

With President Mubarak guaranteeing a free and fair poll, Ibrahim Nafie asks why strains of the opposition continue to boycott Egypt's upcoming presidential elections

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In his speech announcing his intention to run for the forthcoming presidential elections, President Hosni Mubarak laid out the broad outlines of his electoral platform. Throughout his presentation the president not only demonstrated his continued commitment to his programme for comprehensive economic and social reform and development, but also set the standard for how candidates should comport themselves in Egypt's first direct multi-candidate presidential elections.

The president was keen to stress that the achievements Egypt accomplished under his leadership should not divert our attention from the challenges that lie ahead. The most immediate challenge is the forthcoming elections, which he pledged to do all in his power to ensure are truly competitive, free, fair and honest.

With regard to his electoral platform, which will be revealed soon in a more detailed form, Mubarak stated his resolve to press ahead with the development of Egypt's system of government. The considerable progress that had been achieved in this regard over the past few years, he said, has laid the groundwork for a new phase of political reforms to begin following the elections. These reforms will aim primarily to restructure the relationship between the legislative and executive branches, in order to restore the equilibrium between these organs of government and, generally, to bring Egypt's system of government closer to models offered by the world's longest established democracies. The president expressed particular admiration for the French presidential system, in which regard he voiced his ideas on the need to more clearly define -- and limit -- the powers of the president.

On top of these commitments to political reform, the president further pledged to lift the state of emergency and introduce, instead, legislation specifically aimed at combating terrorism. This action will, without doubt, give additional impetus to the process of political development. In a similar vein, the president vowed to press ahead vigorously with economic reform, a spirit exemplified in the policies of the current government and which have already brought tangible improvements in the lives of Egyptians, the benefits of which will multiply over time.

The substance of the president's candidacy speech proves beyond doubt my long-held belief that reform is an ongoing process and, as such, cannot be reduced to a single measure or progress in a particular realm. It is a comprehensive process that aims to stimulate growth and development in all fields of activity, so as to equip Egypt to take the place it merits regionally and internationally.

For this reason I believe that Egypt under a new term of Mubarak's leadership will reap the fruits of many years of sustained work and progress. President Mubarak's decision to run for a new term of presidency was welcomed at home and abroad precisely because of the accomplishments attained for this country with him at the helm. I would suggest that our ability to hold free and fair presidential elections will add another entry to Mubarak's lengthy record of achievements, all the more so in view of the lively campaigning and compelling debating of ideas we can anticipate now that the nominations period for Egypt's first multi-candidate presidential elections scheduled for 7 September has opened.

There is every reason to expect that these campaigns will be entirely fair and above board. It is evident from observing the actions it has taken so far that the Electoral Supervisory Committee is strictly adhering to the principle of impartiality as it scrutinises the applications of prospective candidates and ensures they meet the conditions for nomination. Certainly, too, the fact that many individuals have already stepped forward to compete for the presidency testifies to the confidence that prevails across the spectrum of Egyptian society in our ability to hold an electoral process worthy of Egypt's regional and international status.

That we are undergoing this tremendous political transformation in the midst of regional and international turbulence makes it all the more important to stress that President Mubarak's speech in Menufiya has reminded us all of our historic responsibility. In declaring his intention to field himself for the elections the president unfolded his comprehensive vision for the future. He did not dwell on the many accomplishments that are already on record and that led us safely to this current juncture in spite of the insidious attempts on the part of certain regional, international and even local parties to propel us down foolish and hazardous paths.

In this context, one cannot help but to wonder why, now that it is clear that all executive, legislative and judicial agencies have guaranteed the integrity of the forthcoming elections, some political parties are still determined to boycott them. How can this possibly benefit the political process? What are they waiting for? One would hope that those forces that opted to withdraw from the fray at this critical hour would ask themselves these questions. There is one mature and responsible way to state one's objections, and this is through the ballot box. The laws governing the elections have been discussed at length by all concerned, and have been put into effect after the Supreme Constitutional Court gave them careful study and modified them according to its expertise. There is no longer any excuse for a boycott, that is unless the boycotters know something we don't concerning this crucial moment in our modern history.

Judging from this specific trend in the Egyptian street, recently -- and especially since the opening of nominations for the presidency -- there seem certain political forces that have not yet realised that the wheel of change is in motion and will not stop. To be precise, these forces have failed to fathom the momentous change that is in effect, in spite of the fact that this has long been one of their demands. This curious conundrum compels us to ask the question once again. What purpose does a boycott serve at a time that demands all political forces work together to promote the process of change and development that will lead Egypt to the realisation of a fully democratic system of government?