CAIRO - Scores of intellectuals, political figures and representatives of human rights groups Monday attended second-day sessions of the National Dialogue, a series of forums among political groups to explore Egypt's future, after some young revolutionaries quit the gathering in protest against inviting figures of the Mubarak regime. Monday's session was more organised than the opening one on Sunday, when disgruntled revolutionaries spoke out against the presence of perceived loyalists of the now-dismantled National Democratic Party and the former regime as well as the low representation of youth. Some of the intellectuals attending the forum slammed it as lacking 'strategy and mechanism' and crticised the interim Government as not strict enough to manage such dialogue. "The National Dialogue should be adopted by a strong government. Its main aim should be reshaping the Egyptian mind," Gaber Asfour, a former minister of culture, said. He added that Egyptian society did not have a good idea about the culture of dialogue over issues like democracy, political participation and equality. Asfour's criticism was echoing objections by the April 6th Youth Movement and the Union of the Revolution's Youth, whose representatives walked out of Sunday's sessions. "We have decided to boycott the so-called National Dialogue simply because the youth of the revolution have been sidelined from organising it, and decisions by the organising committee are made in a dictatorial way," read a statement issued by the union. It added that the revolutionaries had some demands that should be met before any involvement in dialogue. "We have quit this dialogue for the following reasons: inviting figures from the former regime and excluding significant issues from the dialogue," the statement, a copy of which was obtained by the Egyptian Gazette, said. Just as happened on Sunday, some youth Monday complained that their voices were not heard as longer time was given to older speakers than to the young participant. "The sessions have become a chance for each participant to talk about different ideas. It's like a talk show that wastes time," said Tahani el-Gebali, Egypt's first female judge. Former Prime Minister Abdel Aziz Hegazy, the head of the forum, sat in the last row in the half-empty hall. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said the Government had nothing to do with the National Dialogue, adding the organization was fully managed by Hegazi. The conference, comprising representatives from various political powers, professional unions and civil society groups, was noticeably boycotted by the Muslim Brotherhood and representatives of other religious groups. The participants criticised the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for issuing laws "unilaterally". "Dilaogue conducted in such a way is doomed to failure," Ibrahim Darwish, a constitutional expert said.
