Bread and democracy

By Khalil El-Anani

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For the past three years the nation experienced a period of political revival of sorts. We've had multi-candidate presidential elections, somewhat acceptable parliamentary elections, and a new breed of civil society organisations. It all went well for a while, then the pendulum suddenly swung back. What we have now is minimal politics laced with hunger, as Egyptians push and shove their way through bread lines. How does this sit exactly with the government's claim that the economy is surging at the rate of seven per cent per year? How does this mesh with the proud announcement that foreigners are so enamoured with our economy, they just pumped $11 billion into our businesses? Is anyone doing anything about self- sufficiency? Is anyone doing anything about our unemployment, which is conservatively estimated at 15 per cent?

The new elite within the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) wants market economy at any price. But that's wishful thinking. You want to liberalise, fine. But you have to create a safety net for the underprivileged and underemployed first. And you have to have political life that matches a liberal economy too. You cannot go on imprisoning opponents just to stay in power. You cannot exclude the Muslim Brothers from the scene and claim to be reforming political life. This nation wants more than what the government is offering. It wants bread and it wants democracy too.

We may be having transitional jitters, but at some point the NDP has to start caring or else. There is a new bourgeoisie on the rise that has other ideas on its mind. And there is a public that has been waiting for reform for too long. At some point, things will have to change.

This week's Soapbox speaker is deputy editor-in-chief of the Cairo-based quarterly Al-Siyasa Al-Dawliya.