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Chaotic elections directed by the ruling regime in Egypt

The Egyptian arena witnessed, within few days, the mid-term elections of the Shura Council, followed, in October, by next parliamentary elections, and presidential elections by mid-2011, followed by the local council elections in 2012. No doubt that each of these elections will constitute the future of Egypt and the actual political and economic map, whether inside or abroad at the regional and international levels.
The vote comes amid strained political situation to the extent that threatens the social explosion of most strata of Egyptian society due to economic collapse and corruption that spreads in the sectors of national economy.
In flagrant defiance to all norms and conventions and covenants- that have been pledged by the ruling regime in Egypt, internally and abroad before international forums- to end the state of emergency, a decision was passed by parliament to extend emergency law for two years, and to be limited to cases of terrorism and drugs.
But there is a question that presents itself, and is propagated between all the national forces of the free people and lovers of this country, this question is: can you trust, as the Egyptian people, that the regime - which is always over more than thirty years of its actions- contradicts with its statement, by not applying the emergency law except only in cases of drugs and terrorism only?!
The broad definition of terrorism - from the viewpoint of the ruling regime - will prevent, prohibit, and place restrictions on the movements of political parties and citizens to exercise their rights to participate, the right of assembly and association, because of the extensive interpretation of security blocs to who is a terrorist.
These problems come while we do suffer a package of rights that is still constrained because of the arsenal of laws that was designed by law tailors of the regime, thinking that they protect it and will affirm its legitimacy in both internally and externally, such as the right of peaceful power alternation, the right to freedom of political parties, NGOs, public unions, craftsmen links, and the right in parliamentary elections and presidential elections under complete judicial supervision, the right to restrict many of the powers delegated by the Constitution to the President- such as dissolving parliament without real grounds which establishes the dictatorship and the tyranny of the system- and the right to freedom to issue newspapers, and release thousands of prisoners who filled the prisons and detention centers in Egypt for more than twenty year so far without fault of their own, only because they oppose the regime politically.
The deterioration of economic and social conditions for the Egyptians has come to represent a real tragedy. It has been stated by the report- prepared by the Centre- that Egypt has now 48 million poor people living in 1109 slums, without services or care for economic, social conditions. In addition, 45% of Egyptians live below the poverty line and get less than a dollar per day, and 46% of Egyptian families can not find enough food.
The report pointed to the existence of some 3.5 million corrupt employees out of 6 million government employees, and 12 million Egyptians are lacking humanitarian haven, and those living in cemeteries are about a million and a half.
Also, a quarter of Egypt population suffer from hypertension, and 9 million Egyptians infected with virus C, and 10% of the population suffer from diabetes, and 29% of Egyptian children are anemic, and patients with kidney failure and cancer are increasing each year about 100 thousand citizens, and 26% of Egyptians do not know how to read and write, and 16% of Egyptian youth addicted to drugs, and 22% of the workforce in Egypt suffer from unemployment.
Moreover, about 39 billion pounds have been wasted on the state treasury due to financial and administrative corruption, and estimated the damage resulting from poor export gas in 2009 alone, about 231 million dollars. In addition to the crimes committed against the Egyptian people by selling their wealth, resources, land and companies in the largest looting of wealth in the history of our country.
After all this, there was the destruction and devastation that hit the humanitarian infrastructure for Egyptians, and spoiled all aspects of life; in the political, economic, cultural, legal and legislative fields. It also infected the reality and future of the country with disability, losing the country its consciousness and senses of the movement, and it became dead. And now the whole country is exposed, and became a priceless prey for each stakeholder; who pays more, purchase all of the nation's resources, whether human or economic.
Also, the category of farmers, which represents more than half the population of the Egyptian society, has suffered the deterioration in their economic and social conditions, and lost their rights to decent work and security that maintains their dignity as human beings, in flagrant violation of the principles and standards of human rights by a tyrannical political system that sent them down to the bottom of the social classifications, and is now threatening with the end of a painful sector, who toil to produce our food, freedom and independence we have decided to politics.
In the midst of the deteriorating politically, economically and socially situation, there have been a developed views of many who are calling for a boycott to the coming elections because of doubts about its results and that fraud would be an attribute of features based on the legacy of the Egyptian people with the ruling regime in this matter, and confirm the claims that non-participation in the upcoming election will stop the falsity of the Government to citizens and the outside world, and will explain its disregard for people's rights in participation and a decent life. In addition, the government will lose the legality of the rule of the country.
However, there are other cases confirm that participation in the election - despite the boycotters' confirmation that the results of the election are known in advance – will enable opposition candidates to be present among the public to expose falsehood of the Egyptian government policies and corruption.
In light of this controversy between the two groups, some non-governmental organizations and civil preparedness began to monitor the upcoming elections. It has been also announced that a number of other such organizations would not participate, as the next election scenery for an authoritarian regime, and results were known in advance. While unfavorably views emphasize that it is the best for independent non-governmental organizations to not participate in this farce.
Amid this political activity and degrading painful lives of the Egyptian citizen, the Land Center for Human Rights found that it is necessary to open a civilized debate on the issue raised at the Egyptian political arena now - to participate or boycott - in order to develop a clear vision to slide the farmers, which is considered the largest of segments of Egyptian society all on this issue, as well as the proposal of the agenda for the independent non-governmental organizations during the coming period.
In this context, the Centre held a workshop entitled " Chaotic elections directed by the ruling regime in Egypt " on 30/5/2010 on the center, at nine o'clock am until five p.m. in the afternoon, in order to identify the dimensions of this issue, relating to the participation or boycott the elections through the discussion of four themes::
Theme I: The Egyptian political scene; a dark tunnel or a glimmer of hope. Second Axis: the next elections (Presidential People's Consultative localities) or tinkering with democratic development.
Axis III: participation or boycott for genuine political reform. The fourth axis: the role of civil society in the rural support the right of participation and self-determination for farmers.
A proposed agenda for the workshop convened by the Center of the Earth entitled
Chaotic elections directed by the ruling regime in Egypt!!
The meeting on Sunday, 30/05/2010
Sign 9-9.30
The first meeting of 9.30-11
Theme I: The Egyptian political scene .. a dark tunnel or a glimmer of hope
A. Abdel-Ghaffar thanked Vice-President of the Arab Research Centre
Moderator
A. Farid Zahran President of the Center unguarded
The second session 11-1
Second Axis: the next election (Shura, the people, presidential, local) or tinkering with the development of democratic
A. Abul Ezz Al Hariri Member of the former People's Assembly
A. Ahmed Seif al-Islam President of the Hisham Mubarak Center for Law Moderator
A. Fulfillment of the Egyptian Lawyer and human rights activist
Tea Break 1-1.30
Third Session 1:30 to 3:30
Axis III: participation or boycott for real political reform
D. Osama Al-Ghazaly harb President of El-Gabha party
A. Hamdeen Sabbahi Member of Parliament
A. Essam Sheha Member of the supreme body of the Wafd Party
A. Sobhi Saleh Member of Parliament
Session Moderator
A. Mohamed Hegazy President of the flowers organization
Session IV 3:30 -5
The fourth axis: the role of civil society in the rural support the right of participation and self-determination for farmers
A. Mahmoud Mortada
President of the Centre for Alternative Development
Food 5-5.30