CAIRO – Rights groups have accused Egypt's Government, led by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, of restricting their role, hindering their activities and excluding them from most of the forums for dialogue created by the institutions running the country. A statement signed by 36 rights groups on Monday urged the ‘Sharaf revolutionary Government' to stop interfering with NGOs working in the field of human rights and activists, so that they can “play a due role in change and the peaceful and smooth transition of authority to an elected, civilian government”. They also called for an end to the ‘siege' of civil society institutions, urging an amendment to Law 84/2002 to “liberate private activities from the fist of the administrative agencies”. Tightening any of the provisions in this law will be a setback for democratic transition, according to the statement. They also stressed that, despite the “restrictive policies of the current Government on the activities of civil society”, they are trying to find ways to establish dialogue. The statement said that the Government hasn't responded to a request submitted by 70 rights organisations to meet with the Minister of Social Solidarity for the same purpose. Instead, the Government has formed a committee of Ministry of Social Solidarity officials to add more restrictions to the Law on NGOs, “on the pretext of amending it”, and another committee of Ministry of Justice officials to investigate the sources of the funding of these organisations. The issue of foreign funding to NGOs has always been a controversial one. A remark by the newly appointed US ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson at her Senate confirmation hearing sparked a debate about foreign funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and human rights groups. The media reported on Patterson's claim that Washington had already spent $40 million to support civil society groups in Egypt since January and that 600 organisations had applied for funding. Such reports have inflamed fears about foreign funding in post-revolution Egypt.
