CAIRO: The Center for Studies held a debate with four potential presidential candidates: Ayman Nour, Hamdeen Sabbahi, Hisham al-Bastawisi, and Magdy Hatata. The rest of the candidates - including the three considered to be the 'top' candidates, former Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, Muslim Brother Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh and former IAEA head Mohamed el-Baradei and the lone female candidate, Bothaina Kamel - did not attend. The organizer of the event, Dr. Mustafa al-Labad, said some of the candidates who attended the conference expressed their objection of being presented together and asked questions in a panel as opposed to being allocated at separate times. Founder of the liberal al-Ghad Party, Dr. Ayman Nour, said he was disturbed by the number of political parties funded by big businesses, which he finds suspicious. He said “capitalist forces" should be permitted to take part in the political process but it is a concern when one funder is funding five different parties. Nour also found it strange that a political party and organization represent a certain ideology. Nour referenced the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), which he thought is feasible for a party to have a religious or cultural ideological basis it shouldn't be reflected in the party program. Regarding the percentage of farmers and labor workers in the parliament, Nour thought this archaic and dishonest. “How can a general represent workers?" he commented. He said unions should be strengthened. Nour said he believes in a civil state with a sound constitutional basis and the second clause of the constitution is not problematic since it addresses legislators. However, he believes there must be constitutional safeguards so people can practice their beliefs safely. He prefers a mixture of parliamentary and presidential systems, since the presidential system has a negative history in Egypt. He said ignoring important legislations pertaining to houses of worship caused sectarian strife and the marginalization of the Coptic Christian minority in areas with less security and safety. There must be an awareness taught through education reform aiming towards tolerance. Nour said he prefers an economic model where the state actively participates and guides the economy. He isn't against privatization but is against the “thievery” practiced by members of the former regime. His electoral campaign is divided into two parts. The first is to stop deterioration of the state and secondly to develop the country and rid it from corruption. He believes that many parts of the Camp David agreement must be rectified, including the recognition of the Palestinian state and permitting Egypt full control over Sinai. Nour's foreign policy included reconsideration of Egypt's relationship with Sudan, Iran and Turkey, all key players in the Middle East region. Hamdeen Sabbahi, head of al-Karama Party, thinks Egypt should take into consideration how Turkey went through reform with its political system prior to creating a new constitution, secure its borders and make sure not one single ideology overwhelms the constitution. Sabbahi prefers a mixyure of both presidential and parliamentary systems so mistakes of the past are not repeated. His priorities are the parliamentary elections, creating the constitution and then presidential elections, in that order. Sabbahi said he must now determine constitutional principles that will bind the future Constituent Assembly, pointing out Egypt does not seek secular or religious, but a civil state. In Sabbahi's opinion, money is a vital issue in the political life but it is not the priority. That ideology would indicate a political party's route and intention. Sabbahi refused the idea of establishing any party based on any religious authority. He added sectarian strife is not purely a religious issue but the result of politics, to cause disorder then strengthen the role of Al-Azhar as a platform for moderation. Sabbahi called to reduce the budget allocated to the presidency in addition to appointing a vice-president and a National Security Council. He suggests making the minimum wage 1200 EGP (U.S. $203). As for foreign policy, Sabbahi stressed the need to create strong relations with the Nile Basin countries. He said it is important to develop federal formulas between northern and southern Sudan, with respect to the Camp David agreement. Sabbahi said he will take the matter to a public referendum and he will stop exporting Egyptian gas to Israel. He added Egypt must resume relations with Iran and ignoring Iran would be fatal to Egypt's interests.
