By Salama A Salama The raging conflict inside the Wafd Party, that bastion of liberal values, is nothing but a microcosm of the decline and degradation with which political life in Egypt has become afflicted. It is the natural outcome of an atmosphere where such conduct is the norm. Its contagion has caught on to other institutions like the press, spreading as well, it would seem, to countries like Lebanon and Palestine. The escalation of differences there has spiraled into political thuggery that quickly transformed itself into weapons brandished by militias and gangs. They are the ones who rule and determine how conflicts will be resolved. One cannot give credence to the crocodile tears exhibited by members of the Political Parties Committee and their "sorrow" at the use of arms by the Wafd Party's former head Noaman Gomaa during his forced entry into its headquarters. Nor can one believe the "apology" that security forces do not intervene in a conflict that takes place inside the walls of a party's headquarters. All of these developments are a natural progression from the concealed thuggery resorted to in the parliamentary elections to win a majority for the ruling party. And, of course, there is the legacy of tactics consistently resorted to by state apparatuses in order wreak havoc with the opposition parties and sow dissent between their leaders. Political parties will thus remain weak -- a pawn to be moved at will. The arena will remain empty of competing democratic forces, thus inducing popular enthusiasm for reform to wane. The advocates of renewing political life and of effective popular participation would thus be effectively contained. The crisis is not limited to the Wafd Party and cannot be explained solely by weaknesses in the parties' internal structures. At the heart of the malaise lies a lack of faith in pluralism and the deliberate mal-intent by those who designed and implemented the Political Parties Law. The latter subordinated the parties' formations to the ruling party. The luring of Noaman Gomaa into presidential elections was nothing but a devious ploy designed to weaken the Wafd even further. The results were apparent in the parliamentary elections, and concluded with the party's internal collapse that we have seen. The fate of the other parties has not been better. The closing in on their ranks and restricting their mobility on the street has weakened them. They are kept as props in a "set" designed for a foreign audience. They and their leadership, however, cannot be absolved of having abandoned democratic values and relinquished themselves to becoming instruments in the hands of the ruling party. Nothing more potently brings home the absence of the democratic spirit like the virulent reactions inside the ruling party itself against one of its prominent members of the Policies Committee, who chose to resign, expressing his desire to establish a new party. Such belligerent attitudes have infected the press and media as well and transformed them into battle grounds where foes are to be fought and ridiculed instead of having their ideas discussed in a spirit of democracy. All of this is further complicated by the amazing tenacity and clinging to position that characterises officials in Egypt and the Arab world. No one wants to relinquish their power. We thus suffer a chronic crisis in the rotation of power and the ascendancy of new generations. It is clearly not possible to resolve such a situation except by means of divine intervention, or, perhaps, the use of devastating force. The latter may sometimes be exerted by external powers but it is more likely to be effected through some irresponsible parties. It is sad that the first to trample upon democracy have been representatives of our "elite" of intellectuals, politicians, and academics. It is no less regrettable that the advocates of liberalism and political freedom were the first to abort them. In such a contaminated atmosphere, there can be no reform.
