CIPE’s Egyptian partners make recommendations for Egypt’s transition

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has conducted extensive consultations with partners and other stakeholder groups in the wake of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation and the military council’s assumption of power. These meetings revealed significant concerns about both the rapid pace of the transition and lack of citizen input into the process. Time is of the essence; the work of the constitutional committee appointed by the military council will begin its deliberations on February 26.

In response to these concerns, the independent Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm and the Federation of Economic Development Associations (FEDA) held a three-day policy roundtable from February 22-24. CIPE agreed to help organize the event at the hosts’ request. More than 200 representatives of business associations, political parties and youth and other opposition movements, think tanks, media outlets, academia, and government officials, as well as representatives of the military council itself and its constitutional committee, convened and have presented recommendations in the following areas:

• Transitional period
• Political participation
• The economy
• The constitution
• The media

1) Transitional Period

• Consider the transition period a means for democratic transformation in Egypt, and not a burden that should be ended immediately. Consider extending this period via a transitional civil authority. Extending the transitional period seeks to establish an environment that is conducive to forming political and social forces that can enrich the change process, including the formation of capable and effective political parties. This recommendation is contingent on the transition period not constraining the stability and development of the country.
• Participants cite great appreciation to the role of the military in protecting the transition to democracy, and handing over authority to a civil leadership that is freely elected, according to the timeline announced by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
• Investigate those engaged in corruption prior to January 25, 2011, and pursue reclaiming assets obtained by corrupt practices, following the rule of law, and principles of justice, in a manner that maintains the integrity and function of state institutions.
• Draw upon the experiences of countries that have pursued a successful democratic transition to inform Egypt’s democratic transformation while taking into account the Egyptian context and its national goals.
• Political change driven by the revolution should be accompanied by significant economic, social, and cultural changes, in order to make a real and comprehensive transformation towards a modern civil state based on principles of fair opportunities, transparency, and effective accountability.

2) Political Participation

• Remove barriers constraining political and civic activity, allowing freedom to establish political parties and civil society organizations, in order to create a vibrant, transparent political environment, and allow different social and political forces to present their priorities and demands.
• Draft an election law that is efficient, fair, and implementable. Develop a transparent and accountable mechanism for independent monitoring of the elections. Allow voting in all public elections using citizens electronic identification cards. Take all measures to ensure the integrity of the electoral process under complete judicial supervision.

3) The Economy

• The transition should include a thoughtful, well-planned transformation of the economic environment characterized by openness, freedom, transparency, fair opportunity, and social welfare in distribution of national wealth, with focus on combating unemployment, poverty, and developing a new, balanced wage structure.
• End all kinds of monopoly, encourage competition, and cultivate the tourism, industry, agriculture, information technology sectors to play a role in enhancing Egypt’s economic performance during the transition and post- transition period.

4) The Constitution

• Strive to establish a civil state in Egypt as one of the achievements of the revolution of January 25th revolution. This should be reflected in the constitution, law, and practices, ensuring the realization of values of justice, fraternity, and equality.
• The new permanent constitution should consider values of equality, justice, and opportunity for all, to protect freedoms and human rights, and should be free of articles that discriminate in the favor of one segment over the other. This can be done through opening broad dialogue and debate among the community on issues such as the representation of farmers and labor, taking into consideration the past abuse of such articles by the regime to maintain control of both houses of parliament.
• Al Masry al Youm will organize a conference to discuss the amendments that are made to the constitution and formulate a general framework that constitutes national consensus towards a new constitution. This conference will bring together a diverse group of opinion leaders and representatives of all political, social, and cultural schools of thought in Egypt. It will present experiences of countries that managed to successfully make the democratic transition with conditions similar to Egypt. The new constitution should embody a social contract capable of transforming Egypt to a modern democratic civil state.

5) The Media

• End government control over state-owned media. Transform it to a “public service” model, subject to professional administration, and accountability, performing for the benefit of the public, and allowing all political and social forces to express opinions and positions.
• Remove restrictions on ownership and operation of media while ensuring that it complies with the constitution, laws, and self-regulatory including values, and codes of conduct and ethics.

Also available online in Arabic | Or download the PDF version (English, Arabic).