Web site calls on Gamal Mubarak to abandon NDP posts and serve Egypt as an ordinary citizen CAIRO: A number of Egyptian activists living in the United States have recently launched the National Initiative against Power Inheritance on www.gamal-mubarak.com. On the Web site interface the word no is written in almost all international languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Hebrew, Chinese, Italian and Russian. The initiative is sponsored by the U.S.-based Egyptians Without Borders (EWB) movement. EWB was formed a few months after the formation of the Egyptian National Movement for Change, Kefaya (Enough), that started its activities in 2003; EWB was established on the same principals. EWB is seeking real solutions to social and political problems in Egypt, Ibrahim Hussien, EWB contact person, says. EWB coordinates with other movements in Egypt and elsewhere. The most important factor is getting all political factions together to form a solid unity against corruption, Hussien explains. Most Egyptians who live in the United States are against power inheritance as a concept, and they are looking forward to seeing true reform accomplished in Egypt., Unlike older Egyptian Americans, Egyptians who have recently immigrated to the United States during the past two or three decades have very strong ties with their homeland, Hussien confirms. Web site visitors are being urged to sign a statement against the inheritance of presidency in Egypt. So far, 2,171 signatures have been collected as of publication and the number is increasing daily. The initiative has many objectives. Among our objectives is to show that there is popular demand to stop this nonsense called power inheritance, Hussien reflects. The second objective is to motivate ordinary people to be positive and overcome the fear factor and sign their names openly. The statement published on the Web site starts this way: We, the undersigned, declare our opposition to power inheritance and Gamal Mubarak s succession to his father. Besides Gamal s lack of qualifications, we strongly believe that power inheritance is against freedom, democracy and equal opportunity. According to the campaign statement, The power inheritance scenario - over the past few years - became noticeable to the general public. President Mubarak and his son constantly denied even the possibility of such a thing. However, in reality they did the opposite, including amending the constitution to make sure that Gamal will be the only unchallenged candidate. Their chief demands revolve around an insistence that the president and his son Gamal take the same measures to demonstrate their seriousness about what they have denied. Among their other demands is Gamal Mubarak s immediate resignation from all his posts in the National Democratic Party (NDP) as well as dissolving his policies committee. We demand that he serves our country as an ordinary Egyptian citizen, they say. They also call for Gamal Mubarak s distance from all unconstitutional presidential activities and privileges including, but not limited to, overseas visits. Additionally, they demand, President Mubarak must comply with the constitution and appoint a vice president especially with his age and health conditions. Finally, President Mubarak is required to take a few steps forward towards true political reform by forming a national committee to rewrite the constitution, guarantee judiciary system independence, releasing all political prisoners, abolishing Emergency Laws and political parties committee as well as lifting all restrictions off universities, professional syndicates and civil groups. Interestingly, many Egyptians have put the initiative s banner on their blogs and Web sites as a bid to mobilize public opinion. One blogger writes: While I was surfing the news and Egyptian Web sites, I found this very courageous initiative that actually declares what most Egyptians agree on as to Gamal Mubarak s intentions. Mubarak, the son, has made the question of succession more pertinent, but this problem is likely to be postponed till the end of President Mubarak s fifth term in 2011. Meanwhile, he maintains his position in the NDP - the ruling party - as deputy secretary general, a post he holds in addition to heading the party s policies committee, probably the most important organ within the NDP.
