Egyptians went to the polls again yesterday in Round 2 of the country’s parliamentary elections. No one doubts that the ruling National Democratic Party will be returned, possibly with a reduced majority. The NDP won 68 percent of the seats in the first round. What is just as significant, however, is the question of whether politics is truly becoming more open in the Arab world’s most populous country.
The elections so far are testimony that the modernizing democratic face of Egypt is developing. The country had its first contested presidential election in September; it opened an unprecedented national debate on political reform and civil liberties. Such openness has now extended to parliamentary elections. Outright criticism of the government is being permitted. The government is also allowing civil society groups to monitor the vote and for the first time, ballot boxes are transparent.
Perhaps the biggest proof positive that the elections are free and fair is the unexpected gains by the Muslim Brotherhood. Officially banned, they have been allowed to campaign openly, fielding 150 technically independent candidates nationwide. These candidates have been allowed to hold campaign rallies, hang banners and distribute their platforms. As a consequence, they have reaped the dividends. Independents standing on the Brotherhood’s behalf have now more than doubled their seats in the People’s Assembly. In the outgoing Parliament, the Brotherhood had only 17 seats; now they have 34 before voting has taken place in two-thirds of the country. If the group maintains the same success rate, it could control a fifth of the seats in Parliament.
Galvanized by the government’s willingness to allow greater participation, other opposition parties, which are still small and lack grass-root support, have buried their differences and formed a coalition. They hope this will give them a better chance of reducing the NDP’s majority. What will most likely transpire is the NDP will maintain its dominant position, but with a larger and livelier opposition in the People’s Assembly. At the very least, the mere fact that they are competing shows how far the poll has gone in re-engaging ordinary Egyptians in the political life of their country.
The Egyptian Parliament carries significant weight. Its new members will consider a rewrite of the Emergency Law in place since 1981, plus a continued transition to a free-market economy. It may also oversee a presidential transition. The Parliament also holds a fair amount of power over day-to-day affairs and can override government policies and summon ministers for questioning.
Mubarak surprised the nation in February by calling for the first multicandidate presidential elections. The ensuing presidential election in September received international attention. This month’s parliamentary elections are also being closely watched, both in Egypt and abroad, for indications of long-term political changes in the country. What they see is a bold new grass roots movement breaking new ground.
