Both those who are celebrating "A day for Democracy" and those who are crying foul have to be more reasonable and sensible. At least 65 per cent of eligible voters have declined to vote in the 2010 parliament election's first round -- despite all that has been said about the crucial role of this next parliament in 2011, and thereafter, a year of presidential election. A turnout of around 35 per cent -- to go by the officially announced figures -- should be humbling to all political forces, the ruling National Democratic Party that labels itself "the majority party", the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the secular opposition parties. The results of the first round should be equally bewildering to both the NDP and its opposition. The NDP would have very little claim to make as the democracy champion in the face of a possible fascist Islamist rule if it gets the notorious exaggerated majority and knocks away, fairly or otherwise, all the obvious opposition figures, from the liberal Wafd to the MB. We need to listen to those who do not want to see parliament turned into an all but exclusive NDP club and believe such a development is not conducive to the interests of the country. And it is indeed harmful -- not just to the political integrity of the secular opposition and its ability to shape up or to the regulation of the Islamic opposition but indeed to the image that the NDP has been trying to promote of a modern political entity. The NDP wants a younger generation that could make a serious bid for democracy, even at a slow pace. But, said Lady Macbeth, what is done cannot be undone. The hard part is still ahead. The run-offs need to reveal a different face of playing politics in Egypt: less violence, fewer irregularities, a more prompt performance of the Higher Election Commission (HEC), wider participation of voters and maybe consequently more seats going to the opposition -- not excluding the outlawed MB. After all, it is only rhetorical to state that the credibility of legislation adopted by a parliament that has a fair representative of the opposition is much higher than those passed by a parliament where one party dominates the political scene, while the rest are watching. It is on democracy that the NDP -- as a ruling and would be ruling party -- should count and not on its nominees that have often prioritised their personal agenda of interests over those of the party. A contribution, even if small, to the call of democracy in Egypt is what the ruling party needs to win itself a good standing in a society that has not been prompted by the intense propaganda machinery to vote -- NDP or opposition. The second round is a tougher test than the first. And the continued absence of direct and full judiciary supervision is unlikely to make things easier for anyone: the HEC, the NDP, the opposition or whichever number of voters who are still willing to go to the run-offs.
