Democracy more than elections

Hala Mustafa has an interesting piece in today´s WaPo. She´s pessimistic about the upcoming parliamntary elections leading to further reforms, predicting that the outcome will be preety much the same as before, with the likely scenario from 2000 repeating itself, with the official NDP candidates only gaining 37 % of the electoral vote, and the renegade NDP candidates being the victors of that election, soon reemerged to the fatherhouse as official NDP parliamentarians, rising the NDP stake in parliament to well over 80 % in one fell swoop. This time around party cheif Safwat Sharif, and party whip Kamal al Shazli has treatend the renegade NDP´s that they are not welcomed, after the elections, well it´s probably easier to be pragmatic after the elections.

As for the opposition , Mustafa notes that a hetrogenious bloc, the national front, including parties and organisations from left to right will be competing in 222 constituencies(half of the 444 seats). Party loyalties is likely to split the front in the long run. The Ikhwan is supporting the front, while competing as independents with 163 candidates. The runner up in the presidential elections Ayman Nour and his Ghad party is not taking part in the front, partly because of bickering between the spokesperson for the national front,and Wafd party leader ,Nouman Gouma and Nour and partly because of the ongoing, and neverending legal battles of the Ghad party, and their party leader. Facing an orchestrated split within the party(the usual way of government wanting to froze party activity), and the legal case of fabricating signatures ,when trying to establish the party.

Mustafa also notes the significantly low proportion of women(6) and copts(1) competing for the NDP. Arguing that Egypt needs more of civil freedoms.

go read it !

Egypt