Begging little

By Salama A Salama

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There is no more time to waste on amendments to the Constitution. A lot has been said, but nothing will change the course on which the National Democratic Party (NDP) is set. Opposition and independent members of parliament -- 112 seats in all -- have tried to amend some of the proposed constitutional clauses, but to no effect. The only option now is to boycott the referendum. And yet again, if the referendum is to be conducted in the same manner that parliamentary elections were held, then there is hardly any point in trying.

Mauritania has taken a step toward democracy while we have been kissing ours goodbye. The NDP has bulldozed its way through the amendments, notwithstanding the objections of our three major opposition parties, and notwithstanding the initial attempts by the Al-Wafd Party to reach a compromise. The NDP has removed from the Constitution substantial guarantees for legal supervision, for public freedom, and for equal opportunities in presidential elections. The majority has once again declared its dictatorship, while the independents have been told that they have no place in Egyptian political life -- even though 90 per cent of Egyptians belong to no political party at all.

The future is bleak for political plurality in this country. Furthermore, unless radical reforms are introduced in the party system and the law, opposition and independent political groups will have no hope of making their voices heard. As things stand, only weak political parties will survive -- and they will have to beg for the crumbs of political life to eke out a living. They will have to beg for so little, and yet they will be denied it, as has already happened with the Al-Wafd and the Al-Tagammu.

One piece of good news is the attempt to form the National Front Party. The party, which is still finding its ground, has not yet been approved by the Parties Committee, but it could bring a new breath of fresh air to Egypt's stagnant political arena. The new party's platform has been prepared by Osama El-Ghazali Harb, a former member of the NDP Policies Committee, and Yehya El-Gamal, a prominent constitutional scholar. The party calls for restructuring the political system of Egypt so as to turn it from a despotic republic into a democratic one. The party's slogan, "Freedom, justice, and a secular state", conveys its commitment to liberal democracy, basic freedom , and equality before the law. So what we have here is a party that believes in a secular state, a party that does not discriminate between Egyptians on the basis of class or religion.

This is easier said than done, I hear you say. But then again, unless someone tries, all hope is lost. So let us wait and see. What makes me optimistic is that this party is bringing together some of the best minds in the country. Among its founding members are such people as Mohamed Ghuneim (education and health), Hazem El-Biblawi (economy), Mustafa Kamal Tulba (environment and scientific research), Salah Fadl (culture), Raouf Ghoneim (foreign policy and national security), and Ali El-Salmi (administration and development). These are people who are known to the public. They are not the super rich. They have not been members of an underground or military organisation. And they all have is an impeccable track record in their public careers.

No party acting alone can bring about the desired change. This is true for the parties that we have now and any parties that will appear in the future. But Egypt needs new blood. Once we get over the shock of the constitutional reforms, and once we have had time to assess their outcome, we will have to start finding a way out of the dark tunnel.