Seven international human rights organizations have urged US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to pressure the Egyptian government for democratic reform in light of Egypt's upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. In a letter to Clinton, the organizations--which included Human Rights Watch and Freedom House--voiced concern that the upcoming races would be less transparent than the last round of elections in 2005 if Washington failed to show a serious interest in them. The organizations' letter went on to note that Egypt would be a more democratic country and would enjoy greater domestic and international support if it responded positively to longstanding demands for political reform. It also warned of adverse repercussions on both the US and the stability of the region should Egypt fail to carry out such reforms. Continued US support for authoritarian regimes in the region, the letter warned, would only serve to cement the "cycle of distrust" between the US and the Muslim world, alluded to in the past by US President Barack Obama. Rights watchdogs went on to say there was "still an opportunity" for gradual democratic reform in Egypt, but cautioned the US that waiting too long would only frustrate the Egyptian public further--a state of affairs that would be difficult to reverse. Specifically, rights groups asked Washington to pressure Egypt to make constitutional amendments that would allow all citizens--including independents--to run in 2011 presidential elections without restrictions. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
