If presidential elections are to be held in Egypt tomorrow, I would say that Amr Moussa would most likely win, because his name is well known among the voters, more than any other candidate, and because of his long political history and patriotic stances. But the longer the waiting period is, beyond the parliamentary elections in September, the greater chances the other candidates will have, such as Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, and any candidate endorsed by the Muslim Brotherhood. In truth, I believe it likely that such a candidate will run in the elections as an independent to fend off suspicions, and I read that the Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh is considering nominating himself for the presidency. There are many candidates, and there are new names every day. I read the transcript of a debate between two such candidates, who were Hamadeen Sabahi, President of the Karama Party, and Ayman Nour, head of the Al-Ghad Party. The first said that his role model is Gamal Abdel Nasser, and the second chose Mustafa Al-Nahhas. In addition to these two, there is Lt. General Magdi Hatata, who announced that he is not the candidate of the armed forces, while I read, quoting Dr. Kamal al-Janzouri, the former prime minister, that he is thinking of nominating himself for the presidency. This is while Hamdy El-Tahan, former Chairman of the Transport Committee in the parliament, made up his mind and declared his candidacy for the presidency. I also read a press interview with Buthaina Kamel, a human rights and political activist who declared her candidacy to the presidency as well. There are many other names in addition to the above as well, but I choose to focus on Amr Moussa, who says he wants to be a president for one term, and Mohammed ElBaradei. They are both friends, whom I know well, and I believe that if either man wins, he would establish the foundations of true democratic governance that neither Egypt nor the Arab world has seen in decades. Both men are also very patriotic, and their track records confirm this. However, I read in the Egyptian newspapers [allegations] that are the opposite of what I know about them. For instance, Amr Moussa was described as being a part of the former regime, even though President Hosni Mubarak had sidelined him because he was independent in his opinion and because he competed with the president in his popularity. I also read that Mohamed ElBaradei and Ahmed Zewail reflected the American choice not Egypt's, that they are attempting to hijack the Egyptian revolution, and that if either man was elected he will be another Hosni Mubarak. This is baseless and is a condemnation against those who purport it. It reminds me of the story fabricated about John Kerry when he ran against George W. Bush in the presidential elections. Kerry is a decorated Vietnam War hero, while the second is a coward who escaped the war by enrolling in Texas's National Guard thanks to his influential family. And yet, the newspapers continued to publish a completely fabricated story about a (Swift) boat as though Kerry was the one who deserted the army. Israel has always criticized Amr Moussa and accused him of being a secret Nasserist, and considered him to be an opponent of normalization. In regard to Mohamed ElBaradei, if it is not enough that he is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, then there is another thing that is a source of pride for him, which is that the United States was the only member state that voted against renewing his term as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The neoconservatives had launched a foul campaign against him as well, along with the known Likudniks. No doubt, there are many things in the candidates' histories that can be debatable or can be criticized. However, I cannot understand how these two men can be faulted for something that is a strong point in their national performance. I may add here what I also know about Dr. Ahmed Zewail, who has been carrying Egypt's concerns and its affairs with him to the United States, and I have not seen him even once not talking about Egyptian politics and how they can be reformed. At any rate, there are other elections that I am greatly interested in, which are the elections to choose a successor for Amr Moussa as the Secretary General of the Arab League. My candidate (who is also the candidate of the Egyptian government) is Dr. Mustafa El Feki, for reasons that go beyond friendship to what I know about his abilities and political ideals. Dr. El Feki was opposed to Egyptian domestic and foreign policies in recent years, even though he was a member of parliament. He criticized the conduct of Hosni Mubarak's regime in public, and in public sessions attended by many, without fear of his words being conveyed [to the regime]. He complained to me time after time that Egypt has become a ‘hostage of political inheritance', and he proposed ways to end Egypt's political and social crises. I even had a conversation with him about how the benefits of Egyptian economic performance can be spread among the poor, after I wrote that the perquisites stop at the higher classes and do not benefit the poor. Mustafa El Feki is not the only candidate for the post of Secretary-General. Qatar also proposed the name of Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah, former Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and he is well qualified. Nonetheless, I expect Egypt to insist that the Secretary General be from the country headquartering the Arab League, as is the tradition now. But I also expect that the entire issue to remain uncertain, and pending the convening of the Arab Summit in Baghdad scheduled in May, but which may perhaps be postponed again because of the adversity plaguing Arab regimes. [email protected]
