Amending the constitution, halting emergency laws, calls for comprehensive reforms in Egypt
Egypt, Politics, 5/16/2003

Reactions continued in Egypt towards the call advocated by the main opposition parties in Egypt, which are al-Wafd, al-Tajamu', al-Naseri and al-Amal to form a "National Front" in Egypt, considering this to be an idea expressing national unity between all political forces including the ruling national party.

This is, however, to withstand the fierce onslaught hatched on the AM region, besides being an imperative necessity amid the current conditions in the Arab region, especially following the war against Iraq and the expected agendas of "American instructions on all countries of the region during the coming phase."

The opposition parties, and the representatives of the civil society have called for adopting the call made by the new national front for political and economic reforms, noting that forming this front has become a vital demand to push things forward.

The political forces called for the need of preparing the atmosphere to found the national front, ensure the spirit of cooperation among all parties and political forces in support of this idea to be concrete.

Heads of the Egyptian opposition parties have recently concluded a conference in which they agreed to propose to the Egyptian president what they called "the national salvation" in which they debate an integrated vision for the needed political reforms during the coming phase.

Sources of the Egyptian opposition said that heads of al-Wafd, al-Tajamu', al-Naseri and al-Amal ( work) parties as well as representatives for the Communists met to review the political conditions in Egypt, as well as regional developments in light of the implications of the war in Iraq.

Since the eruption of the war in Iraq activities have been launched in Egypt, led by the opposition parties and organizations with efforts concentrated on the need of carrying out serious reforms in the political field, increasing public freedom and deepening democracy, criticizing the emergency law and warning against "foreign pressures expected to be made against Egypt," and demanding urgent reforms before it is "too late," according to sources at the Egyptian opposition.

Meantime, the son of the Egyptian President Gamal Mubarak continued efforts targeting the implementation of "an agenda of reforms" started with the abrogation the state security court system and extended to founding a higher council for human rights.

The statement of the Egyptian opposition committee called for taking several reform measures including liberalization of the political life from restrictions and confiscation of public freedoms and basic human rights and making direct election for the Presidential office and his deputies, giving up their party posts and minimizing the authorities of the President in the Constitution.

The statement also called for abrogating the emergency law and guaranteeing free elections and the freedom to form the political parties, lift restrictions from the right to demonstrate, strike, sit-in and convene conferences, maintaining the independence of trade unions and civil societies and full separation between the national ( ruling ) party and the state and its departments.

Moreover, the Egyptian opposition parties called on the ruling national party to take part in this national front, side by side with other political parties and forces so as to agree on a work agenda for the front until the optimum reforms are attained in the country.

Previous Stories:
  Efforts in Egypt to agree on reform agenda; opposition agree on program   (5/10/2003)
  Justice Ministry finishes draft republican decree on setting up human rights council   (5/7/2003)
  Highest Egyptian judicial commission agrees to cancel state security courts   (5/7/2003)
  Mubarak: Democracy requires democratic institutions   (9/18/2002)
  Mubarak to new local councils: no deviation from democracy and reform   (4/17/2002)

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