Europe welcomes President Mubarak's decision to permit multi-candidate presidential elections, but pushes for more reforms, writes Gamal Nkrumah The future has arrived slightly quicker than anticipated in Egypt, with news that President Hosni Mubarak has called on the People's Assembly, or Parliament, to amend Egypt's constitution to permit direct presidential elections in which anyone can stand and all Egyptians can vote by secret ballot. Mubarak's announcement paves the way for Egypt's first multi-party presidential election scheduled to take place in September. The official response of the European Union was resoundedly positive. "The EU welcomes the proposal made by President Mubarak on 26 February to amend clause 76 of the Constitution to allow for multi- candidate presidential elections," read a statement by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Furthermore, Solana expressed the hope that Egypt would be a trendsetter in the Arab world and that other Arab regimes would emulate Egypt. "The reform proposed by President Mubarak should come to represent a qualitative leap for democracy in Egypt. With this important step, Egypt shows its willingness to apply the principles of the Arab League declaration of 23 May 2004, which expressed determination to firmly establish the basis for democracy in the Arab World," read Solana's statement. "The EU has long been committed to supporting the development of the rule of law and democracy in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, notably through the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, of which Egypt is part, and the Strategic Partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East," the statement concluded. "While recognising that reforms must be generated from within, the EU will continue to lend its support to Egypt in its efforts towards reform. In this context, the step towards the maturing of Egyptian democracy constitutes an excellent basis to deepen the relations between the EU and Egypt through the Neighbourhood Policy," it noted. There is a consensus in Europe that Egypt is a trendsetter and that Mubarak has embarked on a daring and consequential feat. Arab leaders may not face democratic elections, but they are aware of the need to remain in their jobs. Mubarak's proclamation was hailed as a welcome move. "We praise President Mubarak's declaration. Mubarak has undertaken a courageous and critically important decision," read a French Foreign Ministry statement. The French daily Liberation concurred. But, the paper noted that "Egypt is under fire from critics in Washington, especially after the imprisonment a month ago of Ayman Nour leader of the new opposition party Al-Ghad." The paper also pointed out that Mubarak had managed to contain the threat from militant Islamists. "It's a small revolution," remarked France's Le Figaro. Mubarak's surprise move, the French daily surmised, was prompted by mounting pressure from the United States and Mubarak's own homegrown opposition. Le Figaro explained that Mubarak's move actually pulled the rug from under the opposition's feet. "[Mubarak] silenced the opposition which has been clamouring for several months for democratic reforms." The paper noted, however, that the ruling National Democratic Party controls 85 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly, and is unlikely to be seriously challenged by the opposition. "The only threat comes from the Muslim Brotherhood, but the organisation is outlawed and politically sidelined. Even so, the Muslim Brothers, sworn enemies of the regime, have hailed Mubarak's announcement as a positive step on the way to radical political reform." "Hosni Mubarak's surprise effect has worked splendidly," Le Figaro concluded. Some European papers warned that for Mubarak, however, there is unlikely to be a fifth chance. Others were sceptical of Mubarak's move. "This is bogus. In the course of suppressing an episodic Islamist insurgency he has laid waste to the entire political spectrum leaving his opponents only the mosque as a rallying point and abetting a creeping theocracy," warned the Financial Times. There is also an understanding in Europe that Arab leaders can no longer champion good governance and ignore misrule. If Egypt's experiment with a vibrant multi-party democracy fails, it will cast a cloud over the entire Arab region. Speculation was rife in the European media with several European papers angling for Gamal Mubarak, the president's son as the country's next leader. It is not as if there are plenty of candidates to choose from. Press pundits in Europe picked up the topic. But the drama for Egypt is that the country is poised for radical democratic change. The country is in the vanguard of a new Arab political dispensation. Egypt is the most populous and politically weighty Arab country. But Egypt by no means constitutes all of the Arab world. However, if Egypt were to adopt a more open and democratic form of government, many other Arab countries are likely to follow suit.
