Doing things differently

By Naguib Mahfouz

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Congratulations are in order, to President Hosni Mubarak for earning the trust of the electorate, and to the people for regaining their right to choose who it is that they want to trust.

Egypt is no stranger to elections. I lived through Egypt's liberal years, when elections were the only path to public office. During those years there were, it is true, occasional irregularities that occurred during the vote. But I think it is important to acknowledge that, however annoying it is that such irregularities should exist they cannot outweigh the advantages that accrue from elections being held in the first place. Mubarak has every right to be proud of reclaiming this long forgotten right for the nation.

Now that a new era is dawning, Egyptians must realise that the future is whatever we make of it. The president has promised comprehensive constitutional, economic and political reforms. He has been elected on the basis of those promises and must now turn electoral pledges into deeds. The political environment has changed, and from now on things will have to be done differently.

Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.