Close up: Political polarisation By Salama A Salama Egypt's political scene has never been as messy as it is today. The elections were supposed to restore balance to the domestic arena. They were supposed to give the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) the majority it craves while leaving the opposition with decent representation, one that matches its political standing. The opposite happened. The ruling party used all legitimate and illegitimate means to grab everything, and we ended up with a homogeneous parliament, one that lacks the slightest semblance of diversity. The worst part is that the NDP has grown so self- absorbed that it is now trying to silence all voices of dissent. It is even scoffing at court rulings that question the legality of its actions during the elections. An air of polarisation dominates the political scene as the elite fails to offer sensible leadership. Consequently, some former deputies -- who accuse the government and the NDP of forging the elections -- have formed a shadow parliament through which to suggest laws and policies and generally discuss the country's multi-faceted problems. I fail to see the point in having a shadow parliament. If you ask me, it is likely to end up being a forum for talking heads, offering no real insight. It is just a gut reaction to the political vacuum that the government has created by making the boundaries of politics too narrow to allow for opposition. The opposition parties would do better to focus on their internal problems and mend the ailments within their ranks. The Wafd, the Nasserist Party, the Tagammu and the Muslim Brotherhood have all been shaken to the roots, and not because the NDP is invincible or immensely popular. They have been harmed by their own disunity and lack of organisational cohesion. The shadow parliament lacks practical use. It would be more helpful, I think, for some of the top figures in the opposition to get together and issue periodic statements expressing their views. They could form a forum called "The political working group for democracy", and use it to promote their ideas. That way, it would be easier to understand their purpose and see their point. Better still, opposition parties may decide to form a united front that agrees on a common set of issues and speaks in one voice. The messy political scene is not confined to the opposition parties. It extends to the way the government approaches the media. The government seems to be trying to sterilise thinking and restrict the scope of expression. We don't have a law regulating the flow of information in this country. We don't have a law that enables journalists to have access to accurate data and facts. Consequently, publishers improvise. Journalists are not interested in making up news. They just report it. If their stories include an element of slander, they should be given some leeway, so long as slander is not the intent of the story. Take, for example, the case of WikiLeaks, which reported on the billions appropriated by President Al-Bashir. The media relayed the news everywhere; reporters and publishers had no intention of confirming the accusation. We cannot make a journalist accessory to a crime just because he is carrying out his duty in relaying the news. Otherwise, all the reports on WikiLeaks, when they touch on politicians and businessmen, would be considered slanderous. I am saying this with a view to the recent case of (NDP representative) Moemena Kamel and the newspaper Al-Shorouk (which reported her outraged remarks about a judge contesting the elections). What we're facing now is a case of political atrophy, a result of polarisation, insecurity, and intolerance in our midst.
