CAIRO: The Coalition of Egyptian-Americans is scheduled to organize a conference titled “The prospects for peaceful and democratic transition in Egypt in the upcoming Presidential Elections,” from September 17-20 in Washington, DC, to discuss the challenges that constitute an obstacle in the way of a peaceful political transition towards democracy. The coalition said in a statement that the sessions of the conference will discuss the means of overcoming these obstacles to “open the way to achieving the goals of democratization and the problems of the electoral process in Egypt, which prevent the holding of free and fair in light of the lack of reasonable assurance.” The conference plans to address ways to hold a presidential election “fulfilling neutrality, impartiality and transparency through the establishment of an independent committee of elections, which wouldn't be exclusively formed by the National Democratic Party or the Executive Authority, and take action, starting from the stage of the preparation of voter lists, and to setting the rules governing the election campaign and the end of operations of the voting and counting and declaring the results with the call for the establishment of the Committee as soon as possible.” The conference will also discuss the means and way to open the doors of the nomination for the next presidential election for independents on reasonable terms by changing the Article 76 of the Constitution. According to the statement, the conference is holding specialized meetings to discuss the role of Egyptian expatriate community in general and Egyptians living in the United States in particular in the formation of global public opinion that puts pressure to prevent the government from targeting freedoms and human rights during the electoral process. It also will discuss the means of organizing the ways for Egyptian expatriates voting in the presidential election through embassies and consulates in the countries of residence. Several Egyptians from the Political elite and members of the Coalition and Egyptian residents in the United States, experts from Research Centers and American Studies Centers will participate in the conference, in addition to a number of heads and members of Organizations Abroad. The Organizers of the Conference sent invitations to the Ambassador in Washington and consuls of Egypt in New York and Washington, Chicago and San Francisco, and a number of representatives of the Egyptian political forces, led by Mohamed ElBaradei, who apologized for not participating via video conference due to his presence in Spain, in addition to a number of leaders of the National Assembly for Change and also sent an invitation to some leaders of the regime, namely, the Secretary General of the National Democratic Party Policies Committee Gamal Mubarak and Mufid Shehab, Minister of State for parliamentary assemblies. Many Egyptians living abroad believe they should be granted the right to cast a ballot in the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections, but there are not means in place for them to do so. Makram Ahmed, an Egyptian living in Alexandria, Virginia, who runs a local cafe, told Bikya Masr that in order for him to be able to have a say in Egyptian politics, “the government must allow us to vote.” He said the argument that because he lives abroad, he shouldn't have a vote, “is part of the problem and how the government is keeping out real and viable opposition. I have all the Egyptian law put on me when I go home, so why should I not get a voice?” BM
