Egyptian style reform
I like the Egyptian president, i really do. Hosni Mobarak has brought Egypt a long way from where it was in the early 1980,'s when he came to power. Even as kid back then, i remember how things where in the eighties when there was virtually nothing available, no sugar, no flour, no regular phone services, nothing. Now, i can get basically anything i want. Well, maybe i can't a Wendy's burger, but who knows, even that might change. I have the BicMac to tide me over until then.
Anyway, let talks politics. Last month Mobarak announced that he will change the way the country's president is choosen. Until now, the People's Assembly choose a candidate and put that name in a referendum before the public. Well, since the assembly is controled by the runling National Democratic Party, Mobarak getting chosen was not a problem. The results of the "referendums" were also not in question. Mobarak was "elected" and "relected" in 1981, 1987, 1993 and 1999, all my margins of over 90%. Must be love.
He hasn't said whether he will run again this year, but i expect him to do so and if he does he will win, it has never happened that an Egyptian ruler has been removed from power and i don't see this happening anytime soon.
But that's not the issue. What bugs me is that the clause dealing with the presidential elections is altered but the rest of the constitution remains the same. Most of all the state of emergency, in place since 1981 (that's nearly a quarter of a century), remains. There can be no meaningful reform without the removal of the state of emergency, no way. That's not mentioning that this change was annouced suddenly, with no introductions, nothing. What? Do they think we can't handle this? Or does the government not think that this issue is of any concern to us? The people don't really matter i guess.
While in itself this change is substantial, it raises alot of questions. Why this? and why now, only six months before the referendum? Egyptians can now vote on their president (the absolute power in the country) but they cannot vote on their mayors, governors, local officials, etc... Does this make any sense? The government will have to address these issues sooner or later.
Egypt, and its style of governance, has always, ever since pharoanic trimes, been an extremely centralized. Maybe the central government is loathe to give up any of its powers. It is rediculous that those in Cairo can choose who the governor of what province is or who the mayor of so and so little town, hundreds of miles away, will be. This is a major tenant of the government's power and its hold over the country, it doesn't surprise me that this hasn't even been mentioned.
So i guess only time will tell what flavor this reform process will have in Egypt.
As to reform itself, democracy, the relationship between religion and state and, most importantly, human rights, i'll save talk about those for later because that will take up alot of space. i have alot to say about that.
Anyway, let talks politics. Last month Mobarak announced that he will change the way the country's president is choosen. Until now, the People's Assembly choose a candidate and put that name in a referendum before the public. Well, since the assembly is controled by the runling National Democratic Party, Mobarak getting chosen was not a problem. The results of the "referendums" were also not in question. Mobarak was "elected" and "relected" in 1981, 1987, 1993 and 1999, all my margins of over 90%. Must be love.
He hasn't said whether he will run again this year, but i expect him to do so and if he does he will win, it has never happened that an Egyptian ruler has been removed from power and i don't see this happening anytime soon.
But that's not the issue. What bugs me is that the clause dealing with the presidential elections is altered but the rest of the constitution remains the same. Most of all the state of emergency, in place since 1981 (that's nearly a quarter of a century), remains. There can be no meaningful reform without the removal of the state of emergency, no way. That's not mentioning that this change was annouced suddenly, with no introductions, nothing. What? Do they think we can't handle this? Or does the government not think that this issue is of any concern to us? The people don't really matter i guess.
While in itself this change is substantial, it raises alot of questions. Why this? and why now, only six months before the referendum? Egyptians can now vote on their president (the absolute power in the country) but they cannot vote on their mayors, governors, local officials, etc... Does this make any sense? The government will have to address these issues sooner or later.
Egypt, and its style of governance, has always, ever since pharoanic trimes, been an extremely centralized. Maybe the central government is loathe to give up any of its powers. It is rediculous that those in Cairo can choose who the governor of what province is or who the mayor of so and so little town, hundreds of miles away, will be. This is a major tenant of the government's power and its hold over the country, it doesn't surprise me that this hasn't even been mentioned.
So i guess only time will tell what flavor this reform process will have in Egypt.
As to reform itself, democracy, the relationship between religion and state and, most importantly, human rights, i'll save talk about those for later because that will take up alot of space. i have alot to say about that.
posted by Caliph at 10:11 AM
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