By Gamal Essam El-Din The seventh congress of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), held under the slogan, "The future of development in Egypt in the next century," drew to a close yesterday following two days of intense debates. In its concluding session, NDP Secretary-General Youssef Wali announced the recommendations passed by the congress' 15 committees. The recommendations, which are intended to reflect the nation's aspirations for the next century, were read out in the presence of President Hosni Mubarak who then delivered a concluding speech. The recommendations ranged from the necessity of protecting limited income groups against the consequences of economic liberalisation to strengthening inter-Arab cooperation against Israel's anti-peace policies. The congress opened on Monday, as 4,200 members re-elected Mubarak as NDP chairman for a new six-year term. "Thank you for this dear trust," Mubarak said. "I will always do my best to live up to your expectations." Addressing the opening ceremony, NDP Assistant Secretary-General Kamal El-Shazli said the NDP had held a series of conferences nationwide, all of which had come to the same unanimous decision to re-elect Mubarak for a new term. "In the name of NDP members, the general congress, farmers, workers, thinkers, women and youths, we re-elect you as NDP chairman for a new term," El-Shazli said. Wali then reviewed the achievements of the ruling party over the past six years. "The party's various committees and general-secretariat have been deeply involved in debating a variety of national issues, including the economic reform programme, terrorism and extremism, promoting exports and development mega-projects," Wali said. "The party received as many as 60,000 messages reflecting the viewpoints of citizens and spelling out their demands for the next century. It also created job opportunities for as many as 70,000 people. It managed to win a majority in the general parliamentary elections of 1995, the mid-term elections for the Shura Council in 1995 and 1998 and local [municipal] council elections in 1997." In foreign relations, Wali said the party concluded a large number of agreements with the ruling parties of many other countries, including 16 African states. Following the congress' inauguration, the NDP's 15 committees went to work. The committee debates, which were attended by ministers and prominent NDP members of the People's Assembly and Shura Council, focused on domestic and foreign issues expected to influence development in the coming century. Mubarak was keen to attend meetings of three key committees and listen to the questions raised by their members. On the proposed establishment of an Arab common market, an issue raised by prominent businessman Mohamed Abul-Enein in the Finance and Trade Committee, the president said Egypt is making gradual efforts in that direction by signing a series of free-trade zone agreements with other Arab countries. On relations with the United States, Mubarak denied that Washington had put pressure on Egypt to prevent it from organising an Arab summit. "Do not believe that anyone can put pressure on us," Mubarak told the committee members. "It has never happened and never will because we have a responsibility towards our people." Mubarak also said Egypt had no reservations whatsoever about holding a full-fledged Arab summit. Mubarak told the Youth Committee that Egypt lives in a democratic climate characterised by justice and the supremacy of the law. Mubarak also attended meetings of the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee, telling its members that the government has spared no effort in protecting farmers from the effects of fluctuating crop prices. He added that dumping charges filed by the European Union (EU) against Egyptian exports will be met with retaliatory measures against EU goods on the local market. The congress' second day saw an expanded meeting between leading members of the NDP committees and Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri. Delivering a speech about several development mega-projects currently underway, El-Ganzouri said all of them were primarily aimed at expanding the populated areas from five per cent of Egypt's total acreage at present to 27.5 per cent in the next century. To achieve this, El-Ganzouri said that 540,000 feddans in Toshka in southwestern Egypt, 620,000 feddans in Sinai, 200,000 feddans in Dakhla and Kharga oases in the Western Desert, and 318,000 feddans in Nubaria southwest of Alexandria, will be reclaimed for cultivation over the next 25 years. El-Ganzouri boasted that a 20-year economic development plan, initiated during Mubarak's tenure, is nearing completion. "With 16 years of work gone into the plan, we are now thinking of new development plans extending until the year 2017," El-Ganzouri said. He said the 20-year plan had cost LE447 billion so far, of which LE215 billion had gone to infrastructure projects. The Foreign, Arab and National Security Affairs Committee, headed by NDP Deputy Chairman Mustafa Khalil, witnessed some of the most heated debates. Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, fresh from a visit to the United States, made a strong attack on Israel's Likud government. He said the strategic dialogue between Egypt and the United States, which he launched during his recent Washington visit, was not meant to force Cairo into altering its policies. "The dialogue was quite good. It was the first of its kind to be held between America and any other country in the region," Moussa said. Turning to the peace process, Moussa said it had become clear that the policies of the Israeli government are to occupy the land of Palestine in its entirety. In light of these policies, he added, Egypt will no longer play the role of "facilitator" in the peace process "because it will mean facilitating the implementation of these policies... But the Israeli government will not be able to carry out these plans because neither power nor weakness remain absolute forever. The least we can do for now is not to recognise these policies so that they remain illegitimate and illegal," Moussa said. Moussa also warned that the Middle East will sooner or later be involved in a nuclear arms race since the international community has so far failed to open Israel's nuclear arsenal for inspection. Concerning local issues, Interior Minister Habib El-Adli said that exceptions would never be made when it comes to licensing automatic rifles for citizens. "Today, it's automatic rifles. Tomorrow, it's rockets," El-Adli said. Ahmed Omar Hashem, chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee, said that a working paper will be submitted to NDP leaders urging that a number of laws be revised in accordance with Islamic Shari'a.
