CAIRO: A hurricane is not a regular storm. It's a very powerful storm, often accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain. But we live in Egypt, a country known for its moderate weather. Yet all of a sudden we were struck by thunder in a political storm with unimaginably far-reaching ramifications, shattering deep-rooted taboos in Egypt. The irony lies in the fact that the storm came upon us from Vienna in a political storm orchestrated by the former head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Noble Peace Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei. His reported intention to join the presidential race in 2011 in a step that would usher a new democratic era in the Egyptian political landscape, was bound to infuriate the regime's henchmen who launched a smear campaign dubbed by The Economist on 19/12/2009 as a "sudden spate of spurious insinuation against a man who not so long ago was happily proclaimed a national hero when he won the Nobel. As the Democratic Front Party, we are proud to be the first Egyptians to welcome ElBaradei's bid in a statement published on Saturday, Dec.5. "The Democratic Front party salutes Dr. Mohammed ElBaradei, said the statement, "the outgoing director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for his proclamation that he might run for Egypt's presidency in 2011 and in which he reiterated the consensus among Egyptian nationalist forces on the necessity of political reforms. "Our party sees this as a sincere intention expressed by an informed Egyptian citizen who assumed prestigious posts on the international level, and whose distinguished performance earned him the most outstanding international award, the Noble Prize for Peace. "We praise him for reinvigorating Egypt's political scene with his sincere desire to participate in Egyptian politics and in striving for a truly democratic society to help boost Egypt's potential and nurture the talents of its youth. This is how Egypt can occupy its rightful position among the nations of the world. "Keen to broaden political participation in Egypt and to open the door wide for major political, economic, social and cultural reform, the Democratic Front Party has resolved to endorse ElBaradei's bid for Egypt's presidency. We also extend our support to any eminent Egyptian figure who considers running for the presidential elections. Effective political participation is not restricted to easing the process of joining the presidential race. It purports rather to entrench reforms designed to reflect voters' political will and guarantee the rights of taxpayers. "For radical change to take place, the Democratic Front Party believes that certain conditions must be met, including constitutional and legislative amendments. It is also imperative for the mass media to undergo a complete revamp. All these measures will reinforce the will of the people and guarantee free and fair elections. "Within this context, the Democratic Front Party condemns the smear campaign waged by some state newspapers against Dr. ElBaradei. At the same time, it calls on all political currents, trade unions and civil society organizations to fight against fraud and corruption through adopting a unified program with the aim of consolidating sound political participation in the upcoming elections in an effort to achieve reform based on pluralism and the free will of Egypt's citizens. This will lead to a peaceful rotation of power and restore the withered hearts of Egyptian youth and Egypt's prominent status among the nations of the world. The simple question is: Why have we welcomed ElBaradei's bid for president so immediately? Why was his bid endorsed by several political forces and prominent public figures? Why did ElBaradei gain so much support from the youth who proclaimed their endorsement for him on the internet? The fact is, ElBaradei did not come up with anything new, but merely reiterated the political demands of Egypt's major opposition parties, parties under construction (such as Al-Wasat and Al-Karama), popular movements like Kefaya, April 6, March 9 as well as nationalist and democratic blocs that entered into a coalition with those parties and political forces over the past two decades. The significance of ElBaradei's bid not only emanates from his demands for democratic reform but also from his implicit rejection of the idea that Gamal Mubarak will succeed his father. The importance of ElBaradei's bid also stems from the fact that he underscores the notion that the Egyptian head of state must be a civilian whose nomination rests upon his stature and qualifications. Despite the fact that it is almost impossible for ElBaradei's conditions to be met, his mere willingness to join the presidential race contests the very idea of running against President Mubarak and implies that he will pose a major challenge to the succession issue as a whole. So far, Gamal Mubarak is the only option from the National Democratic Party to succeed his father but with ElBaradei's appearance on the scene, Gamal Mubarak found himself in an unenviable position. It's true that the young Mubarak is a serious man who is well-acquainted with public affairs, but still, it is the fact that he is the president's son that is the only reason why he can contest the presidency in the first place. ElBaradei's case is completely different, which renders any comparison between them unfair. The specter of inheritance may create and stoke a climate of enthusiasm for ElBaradei's bid and could be the driving force behind the scathing attack launched against him by the state- owned press. Ironically, those supporting Gamal Mubarak's succession put forward the feeble argument that endorsing him is the only way to ensure a peaceful and smooth transfer of power from a military to civilian rule, which was partially accomplished by the fact that no military figure was appointed vice president as was the case before. ElBaradei's merits as a presidential candidate are numerous: Apart from his personal qualifications, his legal and diplomatic experience as the former head of an international institution are crucial assets of paramount importance for the post of president of the republic. A large number of presidential candidates and presidents in the US, for instance, studied law and political science. Obama is a living example of that. Being a Nobel Laureate is certainly not a perquisite to becoming a head of state, but is certainly an honor in a country whose late President Anwar El-Sadat was bestowed the same honor before. ElBaradei's long experience abroad and his familiarity with foreign affairs is not a defect. On the contrary, he has proven through his statements in an interview with Al-Shorouk newspaper (20-22/12/2009) that he has insight into Egypt's internal affairs, and a penetrating mind that enables him to monitor the events on the domestic front so closely that he is familiar with social, economic and cultural realities of which officials and public figures living inside Egypt may be unaware. Throughout history, there has always been a strong link between the Egyptian leadership and national leaders or populists abroad. It has been a phenomenon since reign of Mohammed Ali Pasha. This is simply because Egypt is and will continue to be of profound importance, a force to be reckoned with. We should not forget that our great nationalist leader Mostafa Kamel had strong bonds with the French, Mohamed Farid took refuge in Germany and Saad Zaghloul sought contact with some European leaders following World War I. Furthermore, many pioneering public figures lived abroad (voluntarily or involuntarily), but this never distanced them from their homeland or prevented them from being in touch with its realities. Does all this mean that I personally endorse ElBaradei as president of Egypt? No, not at all. But it does mean that I am in favor of a serious and democratic contest for Egypt's presidency. It also implies ardent support for all the constitutional, legislative and political reforms which would render candidacy for Egypt's presidential elections truly democratic and not just a formality; and finally it signifies that we welcome all outstanding Egyptians with the right political and professional experience to seek candidacy for this important post, which, in essence is what ElBaradei has called for. In this context, I salute ElBaradei's courage to be among the first to take on such a heavy burden, which also comes with a high price. As for backing ElBaradei as a presidential candidate, this can only be possible in the presence of other candidates with their different platforms vying for the post. In the final analysis, ElBaradei will always remain the audacious pioneer who opened the doors for this fierce battle. Osama El-Ghazali Harbis the Editor-in-Chief of Al Siyasa Al Dawliya monthly published by Al-Ahram and is one of the founders of the Democratic Front Party.
