Beyond emergency

By Naguib Mahfouz

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November's parliamentary elections have the potential to become a watershed in the nation's political life. Held under judicial supervision, they should reflect a newly discovered vitality in Egypt's political arena. New groups have appeared on the scene, and with them new ideas. All of which should make the next parliament a great deal livelier than the last.

I believe a new era is dawning, one in which normalcy will be restored and the state of emergency ended. We've been so corralled by emergency laws, so hampered by the supposed extraordinariness of our situation that we have forgotten what we wanted to do. Now, at last, we are discussing real problems and having a real debate. We look forward to a future of law, order and democracy.

Soon there will be no emergency laws and custodial sentences for publishing crimes will be abolished. The president has promised as much. He has also promised that the amendment of Article 76 will only be the beginning of constitutional change. Once all extraordinary laws are scrapped, and the relationship between the presidency and the executive branch sorted out, the future will begin to take shape.

Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.