President Hosni Mubarak's letter to the speakers of the two houses of parliament calling upon them to amend the constitution to provide for multi- candidate presidential elections Shortly after handing the following letter to Parliamentary Speaker Fathi Sorour and Shura Council Speaker Safwat El-Sherif on Saturday morning, President Hosni Mubarak made his landmark announcement about amending the constitution during a televised speech at Menoufiya University. Article 189 of the Constitution states, "The President of the Republic and the People's Assembly have the right to request the amendment of an article or more of the Constitution. The request must state the articles that are asked to be amended and the reasons that compel this action." On the basis of this provision, and in the interest of advancing the course of democracy to which I am fully committed, and inspired by the wish that the selection of the president of the republic, the time for which is approaching, take place in a manner that develops and supports the democratic system and elevates the role of the people in whom sovereignty resides, I regard it my duty to ask for the amendment of Article 76 of the Constitution and the addition of a new article bearing the number 192. I would like to put before the people's representatives several fundamental principles I believe the incorporation of which will accomplish the purpose of the amendment: Firstly, that the president be elected by direct, secret ballot by all persons who have the right to vote. Secondly, that all guarantees are instituted to ensure that more than one candidate may be presented to the people so that they may choose between them of their own free will. Thirdly, that there exist the means to ascertain the earnestness of nominations for the presidency, such as a requirement that those seeking nomination must obtain support from the people's elected representatives on constitutional bodies and on local public councils. Fourthly, that the political parties have the opportunity to nominate a member of their leadership in accordance with the regulations you devise for the first presidential elections conducted under the revised amendment. Fifth, that a supreme committee be created, under conditions ensuring its full autonomy and impartiality, and accorded all necessary powers to oversee the electoral process from the nominations through the announcement of the returns. This committee should include heads of judiciary bodies and public figures. Sixth, that the presidential poll takes place in one day. Seventh, that appropriate guarantees are in place to ensure judicial supervision over the balloting process. As for Article 192 that I propose, its purpose is to stipulate that the word "referendum" be replaced by "election" in all articles of the constitution pertaining to the selection of the president of the republic. Under Article 76, which I recommend for amendment, the choice of president was a matter determined jointly by the people's representatives in the legislature and the people themselves. The People's Assembly nominated the candidate for the presidency and this nomination was then put to a public referendum. Thus the parliament and the people worked together on this decision. The committee that was formed to draft the 1971 Constitution had deliberated at length over this article. Faced with the choice between two possible methods -- one favouring direct popular elections and the other election by parliament -- the committee ultimately adopted a middle course that blended both these methods. In so doing, it was in keeping with the constitutions promulgated following the abolition of the monarchy and the declaration of the republic. The system the 1971 Constitution adopted for selecting the president was not an innovation in constitutional thought; many countries had adopted similar systems at a certain stage in their democratic evolution. However, if this system provided security and stability until we were able to fully liberate our territory from the last vestiges of aggression, and lay the foundations for economic, political and social stability, we can only safeguard these gains by pressing forward towards more democracy. The prime manifestation of this is that the people have the ultimate say in the choice of their president via direct elections, in which the avenues are open to everyone who believes himself capable of serving this nation and realising its hopes and ambitions, and of obtaining the required support of elected members of constitutional and public institutions for his nomination. This is why I was keen to include among the principles upon which the recommended reform should be based the need to provide all guarantees necessary to enable more than one candidate to compete for the people's choice. So that the nomination process is taken seriously, I have asked that the amendment provide for the means to ensure this by requiring candidates for the presidency to be nominated by elected representatives of the people in constitutional bodies and local public councils. In addition, in the hope of ensuring the success of the proposed amendment of Article 76, which will be a new way for the Egyptian people to elect their president, and in order to open the scope of multi-candidacy in the first presidential elections to be held under it, I included among the principles I stated the need to give political parties the chance to nominate one of their leaders to field themselves in the forthcoming presidential elections. In order to ensure that the elections are as impartial, fair and transparent as possible, I have recommended the creation of a fully autonomous committee to supervise the electoral process from the day nominations open, to the day the election results are announced. This committee, which should consist of several heads of judiciary bodies, must have all necessary powers to perform its functions fully, and with total neutrality. In the interest of preserving stability, and in order to not unduly prolong the balloting process, I proposed that the presidential polls should be concluded within the space of a single day. I further proposed the provision of guarantees for effective judicial supervision of the balloting process. The constitutional amendment I have asked for -- the first of its kind in the history of modern political life in Egypt -- is the fruit of the stability we have achieved, and a link in the chain of our society's democratic evolution. With this amendment we hope to strengthen the progress of democracy and realise our people's aspirations to progress and prosperity. Excerpts from the speech made by President Hosni Mubarak at Menoufiya University announcing his recommendation that the constitution be amended Speaking at Menoufiya University in Shebin Al-Kom on Saturday, President Hosni Mubarak announced his recommendation for the amendment of the constitution, and listed ten principles guiding the coming phase of national action and reform. Brothers and sisters, The solid foundations we have laid for the democratic and institutionalised structures of our modern state, and the economic and social stability we have achieved, have given us today an unprecedented opportunity to formulate a forward-looking vision for our course of national action, and to consolidate our efforts as we continue our process of reform, within the framework of the following principles: Firstly, we shall abide by the concept of citizenship as the basis for complete equality in rights and duties between all Egyptians, regardless of beliefs, sex, creed or religion. Secondly, we must strengthen the respect for the fundamental rights of citizens of all strata to a secure life, characterised by freedom and safeguarded by equality before the law. Thirdly, we must fortify the principles of the sovereignty of the law, the binding word of the judiciary, and complete and impartial justice. Fourthly, we must maximise efforts to modernise the structure of the relationship between the citizen and the state, and double our efforts to improve the efficacy of government bureaucracy in order to alleviate the burden on citizens and raise the standards of the daily services that are provided to them. Fifth, we must increase our investment in our human resources by furnishing them with the means for scientific and technological advancement, so as to keep pace with global advances in science, knowledge, academic research and advanced technology. Sixth, we must stimulate the performance of political parties, and provide incentives for the contributions of civil society bodies to better enable them to undertake their role as essential mechanisms for strengthening democracy, and promoting broader public participation. Seventh, we must press ahead towards the realisation of the economic growth we desire, but without disrupting social equilibrium, or relinquishing the social responsibility of the state towards the limited income and disadvantaged sectors of society. Eighth, we must encourage the spirit of initiative, and augment the intellectual, scientific and creative capacities of our society's individuals and institutions. Ninth, we must work to raise productivity and adopt quality standards as our gauge for augmenting the performance and competitiveness of the Egyptian economy. Tenth, we must continue to enhance communications between Egypt and the world, integrate with the movement of the international community, respond effectively to its changes, and work at the various regional and international levels towards the realisation of our national interests.
