For Egypt's great revolution to be sustained certain practicalities have to be addressed, writes Mohsen Zahran* The 25 January Revolution may have come as a surprise, but the writing had been on the wall for some time now. The revolution was the culmination of many things. The demonstrations on 6 April 2008, the activities of Kifaya, and the various protests by professional groups all paved the way. For the most part, however, it was the young people who started this revolution. In a country where nearly half the population is aged 15-35, this should come as no surprise. With college graduates unable to find decent jobs, resentment has been on the rise. Some observers note that the 25 January Revolution was mounted by middle class urban dwellers and had little support outside the major towns. This may be true, but so what? Most revolutions are spearheaded by urban dwellers. This was the case with the 1919 Revolution in Egypt, the 1776 American Revolution, the 1789 French Revolution, and the 1917 Russian Revolution. The more recent Hungarian Revolution in 1956 and the Polish Revolution in 1971 were no different. The 25 January revolutionaries agreed on a number of legitimate demands, including a new constitution, and new parliament. In what follows, I would like to propose a roadmap for the future, one that could meet most of the current popular demands. Here are the main points: - We need to put together a national plan to develop various parts of the country, including the previously neglected areas of the western and eastern deserts. - A national plan is needed for water and energy. This plan should take into account the fact that Egypt's limited share of the Nile waters (55 billion cubic metres) may dwindle in the future. One thing we could do is to revive the Qattara Depression Project and thus boost both our water and energy resources. We may also consider building water desalination stations along the north and eastern coasts. Solar energy is highly advisable at this point. And while at it, let's cut back on the energy we use for luxury purposes. - New laws for land ownership must be passed to encourage settlement and investment in new areas. If we play our cards right, the new areas could create a lot of jobs for the young. - We need to prepare a national plan for self-sufficiency in wheat and corn. Encroachment on agricultural land for building purposes must be banned altogether, with stiff punishment for violators. We need to promote agricultural and urban development in the oases, and we already have many plans awaiting implementation in this regard. We also need to revive the Toshka Project, on which billions have already been spent. - We need to encourage medium-scale industries as well as small and micro businesses and move away from short-term consumer-oriented products. Labour-intensive industries are not such a bad idea if we're serious about creating jobs. - The quality of education, at various stages of study, is crucial to the entire nation. As experience showed in Malaysia and China, better healthcare and administrative and social services are indispensable to progress. - Quality control is essential not only in production but in many other things. Substandard performance must not be tolerated in administration, education, manufacturing, or construction. Egyptian products that reach Arab markets are often unacceptable in quality and packaging. The quality of road building and construction, in both the private and public sectors, is deplorable. Chinese products have already invaded our market. Why? Simply because they are better and cheaper than ours. - Supervisory bodies must monitor closely the performances of various production and service departments. We cannot tolerate substandard performance. If we're going to increase wages, then we must insist on workers producing top quality products. Accountability is the keyword. - National projects that use foreign capital, whether Arab or Asian or European, must be encouraged. Meanwhile, our government should invest in projects that help the taxpayers of this country. Projects requiring long-term investment, such as roads, bridges, airports and tourist resorts can be leased to investors for long periods, thus allowing them to recoup their costs and make profit. The same policy of long-term leasing should apply to agricultural and industrial activities. To create jobs and improve our balance of payments, we need to encourage foreign investment. - The government should hire people based on their expertise, not their loyalty to the powers that be. Managers must be encouraged to speak out and take initiative without fear of retribution. Also, government officials should refrain from pandering to the public, especially at elections time, with silly stuff such as the cancellation of fines or the facilitation of certain procedures. To do so is not only dishonest, but also conducive to bribery and corruption. There is nothing wrong with increasing wages so long as productivity increases too. In the past few years, some ministries and institutions have increased wages under threat of industrial action, which is wrong. Management should take the initiative in such matters; it should not wait until its back is to the wall to do what it knows is right. A new phase is just beginning, one in which we have to do things differently and act in good faith. We need to instil a spirit of commitment and loyalty. We need to let citizens know that the government is there to serve them, not to serve itself at their expense. The challenges facing us are great, and the learning curve is going to be steep, but it's worth it. * The writer is professor of urban planning at the University of Alexandria.
