Everything President Hosni Mubarak says is either hailed unequivocally by his supporters or else viewed with unmitigated suspicion by the opposition. It is, perhaps, the fate of most heads of state. Unfortunately, between these poles of hyperbolic praise or else hysterical censure the voice of reason and spirit of objectivity are lost. Nothing is more detrimental to the spirit of political competition or more guaranteed to turn politics into a circus. One wishes that President Mubarak's speech last Thursday at Al-Masaai Al-Mashkura School in Shebin Al-Kom, Menufiya could be kept out of the hands of the professional sycophants and calculating rejectionists. Sadly, this is unlikely to happen. The speech declared Mubarak's readiness to stand as a candidate in Egypt's first presidential elections. The declaration, issued in the midst of what may be one of the most heated controversies in Egypt's modern political life, should be regarded as a major political document. As such it merits objective and dispassionate analysis. In addition to announcing his candidacy, which came as little surprise, Mubarak laid out the broad outlines of his electoral platform which includes "completing our democratic structure and strengthening civil liberties". Getting down to specifics, he indicated he would seek to "restructure the relationship between the legislative and executive authorities so as to realise a better balance between them, strengthen parliament's monitoring and investigative powers, more clearly define the role and broaden the powers of the cabinet, expand the scope in which the government shares with the president the tasks of the executive, press for constitutional and legislative reforms to ensure an electoral system that allows for diverse political party representation in elected assemblies and greater representation of women in parliament." He pledged constitutional reforms providing checks on the power of the president during times when national security is threatened and promised anti-terrorist legislation that would allow the emergency laws to be abandoned. Such are the broad outlines of the frontrunner's manifesto. Other manifestos will follow, and it is the responsibility of the voters to give each the sober and critical attention they deserve, regardless of which candidate airs them. And it is up to the electorate to push for their effective translation into action, selecting policies on merit, and not on grounds of personality. The ultimate aim, after all, is to meet the longstanding needs and aspirations of the Egyptian people.
