CAIRO - The national dialogue, which was supposed to be led by Deputy Prime Minister Yehia el-Gamal, has stumbled as soon as it started. The dialogue, where all sectors of society should have been represented, is intended to set guidelines for present and future political performance and, later on, help the constitutional committee to be formed in its entrusted task of creating a new constitution. There have been objections expressed to the way el-Gamal has run the first session of the dialogue and to the figures invited to take part. Some commentators are surprised that heads of trade unions are to take part, when they were part of the old regime and a mouthpiece of its oppressive policies. Others believe that journalists, who have invaded TV screens with their analyses about ongoing events, are not the right choice for this kind of dialogue. It has to include scientific brains, economic experts, lawmakers and representatives of professional bodies and political parties to deliberate on the future of the country. Comments on the first session of the suspended dialogue concerned the loose nature of the discussions that diverged into many ideas and visions without really coming out with any conclusions. It was perhaps, for this reason, that Prime Minister Essam Sharaf responded to remarks that had been made about steering the dialogue and replaced el-Gamal with Abdel-Aziz Hegazi, an ex-Prime Minister. In a transitional period in which uncertainty is dominant, obstacles are naturally expected to be encountered on the way. Acts of violence, which occurred in Al Tahrir Square early Saturday is a case in point. It is, therefore, important to reach a point of agreement on basics to act as a springboard or else arguments will continue to take place in a vicious circle. Although young Facebook and Internet users were the original instigators of the revolution, their presence on the scene has noticeably been ignored. Their opinion, which definitely differs from those representing the voice of wisdom, should be appreciated in this stage. Chaos is already having an upper hand today, so it is inconceivable that national dialogue would be allowed to be also stained by the same element of disarray.
