CAIRO - The Government should decide who are the legitimate representatives of the protesters, still staging a sit-in behind armoured vehicles and tanks in Al Tahrir Square. The brainteaser was thrust into the face of Vice President Omar Soleiman when the embattled regime agreed to talk to hundreds of thousands of rebellious pro-democracy activists who are calling for dramatic political changes, including the immediate end of Hosni Mubarak's presidency. They are also demanding radical constitutional amendments, dissolution of Parliament and an all-out war on corruption. Although Soleiman found it very easy to invite opposition parties including the Muslim Brotherhood to the negotiating table, his invitation to representatives of the protesters seemed to have been sent to the wrong address. Due to the huge number of demonstrators in the square, scores of groups have been formed to help maintain communication with each other and keep order. Soleiman faced a real dilemma when discovering that demonstrators had different concerns and prospects. While some protesters welcomed political and economic concessions made by the Government of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, a bigger number refused to do so. The activists' resolution was actually strengthened when they were attacked by armed gangs on horses and camels. Unofficial estimates put the death toll at 300. Thousands were injured and sustained broken bones and skulls. Sympathising with the Vice President, influential politicians and political analysts urged him to persevere. A university professor, belonging to the beleaguered ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), said that national dialogue with the angry protesters was indispensable, regardless of how difficult it was. Professor Gehad Ouda, a member of the ruling party's think tank (Committee of Politics), suggested that the Government should introduce credibility-building changes before a dialogue was initiated. “These young people lost confidence in their leaders when they were brutally and viciously attacked, although they protested peacefully,” he said. Therefore, he continued, the Government should immediately start an investigation into the attacks on February 2 and take the perpetrators to court. Ouda hoped that confidence-building mechanisms could persuade the protesters to calm down and agree to talks with the Government. “The second problem is that the mainly young protesters in Al Tahrir Square don't have a definite framework or agenda,” the university professor added. “They should be encouraged to appoint speakers and come forward to discuss their ideas.” But Ouda urged that the military were not qualified to sit at the negotiating table. “Military men, including President Hosni Mubarak, speak a vastly different language from young people,” he observed. “Therefore, the military and civilians will not understand each other.” A Coptic political activist, Gamal Assad Abdel-Malak, explained the difficulty facing the newly appointed Vice President, by saying that the demonstrators in Al Tahrir Sqaure were 'headless'. He meant that they did not have a leader to speak on their behalf. “They also have different agendas and demands, which makes it quite hard to find a common ground.” Assad urged the protesting community to quickly form a committee and start talking to the Vice President. The political activist noted that Government negotiators should understand that different cards would be placed on the table. “The young people's demands are different from those submitted by opposition parties.”
