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Presidential Elections in Egypt: The Glass Half Full

(Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies-Tel Aviv University) Ephraim Kam - In terms of concrete results, the September 7 presidential elections did not produce much change in Egypt's political system. At the age of 77, Husni Mubarak, Egypt's ruler for 24 years, was elected to a fifth six-year term with an overwhelming majority of 86.6%. Ayman Nour, head of the "al-Ghad" (Tomorrow) Party, won 7.3%; Nu'man Guma'a, the Wafd Party candidate, got 2.8%. However, these elections actually constitute an important mile-stone in Egyptian political development. For the first time in more than half a century, opposition parties were allowed to challenge the monopoly of power in the hands of the ruling party and to field a presidential candidate of their own. The principle that only the ruling party nominates presidential candidates has been abandoned, and opposition elements have been energized by the greater freedom of political mobility and maneuver afforded by the election. The pre-election period witnessed wide-ranging political activity, a relatively open and unprecedented public debate about regime performance and opposition platforms, and a particularly noteworthy outburst of strident press criticism of the regime and its leader. Opposition spokesmen were able to reach large sectors of the public, primarily by means of the large public rallies that would have been unimaginable only a few months before.
2005-09-30 00:00:00
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