My take on Egypolitics - better late than never!

OK maybe I am late, but I had to say it!

For quite some time, I'd been wanting to participate in the on-going talks on the streets of Cairo regarding the political scene. Presidential elections, parliamentary elections, opposition solidarity… seems so much is going on. I'd been abstaining from venturing my humble opinion because I didn't want to seem like the party pooper amidst all the excitement. But in the wake of the disappointing parliamentary elections, where religion was an instrument for politics, I feel I need to blurt it out (may not feel better anyway but will do it!)

I think I'd be echoing opinions already ventured by many others who are probably much more expert at political science than me when I say that this whole excitement about the political scene is a farce. A sound political system requires many things – an educated populace and equal access to media to name a couple. Whether over 80% of the votes did go to Mubarak or not is the not the issue; the percentage basically represents nothing except the extent of the problem.

So am I personally disturbed by the fact that we don't have a real political scene? Not one bit. As far as I am concerned, I am not bleeding my heart over any of the political movements in Egypt. As a 30 year old Egyptian male who is moderately intelligent and educated, I am simply unconvinced with the ability of the leaders of any of the political movements in Egypt to lead this country into a new renaissance (and for many, I don't even trust their intentions). Secondly, being unaffiliated with any specific political ideology (I have one of my own). I am not blindly following slogans raised in fervor ("Islam is the Solution" and such).

Hence, being free of the need to politicize, I can say that as an average Egyptian citizen, I don't care one bit who rules this country. I am totally indifferent to their backgrounds, ideologies, and leaders. It's not that I am apathetic; I just think that this simply is not the issue. I don't care how the rulers of Egypt come to power, I don't care if I agree with their ideologies, I don't even care for their level of integrity (Does it get any more desperate than that?). So what is it that I am looking for? Just my rights as a citizen. Any political party or leader who provides me with these rights has my support to own the country as far as I am concerned. What are these rights? Here are some of the most important ones:
The right to a good education
The right to a generally acceptable level of municipal and civil services.
The right to be respected in my own country.
The right to good medical services.
The right to express myself without fear of persecution (as long as this expression does not infringe upon the rights of others)
The right to breathe clean air and drink clean water

I could name a thousand others: the right to drive on well-paved streets, the assurance that these rights won't be violated by someone with the necessary clout, the right to a working judicial system - the list never ends. In my mind, this is the social contract that gives the government real legitimacy. I will pledge eternal allegiance to any government that embraces this social contract.

And before I forget, I must retain the right to boot the government that's not doing a good job (not personally off course).


In short, I want a government that guarantees all citizens the tools necessary for them to reach their full potentials, to be hampered only on accord of their own will and drive. I will not pledge allegiance to any political party or movement until I am convinced that they can get the job done. For now, I will remain the apathetic abstainer from the current political scene.

I want everyone to participate in forming this social contract. If you have ideas or suggestions or interjections, please send post them. Together, we can build the Book of Citizen Demands, and then wait patiently for the first glimmer of hope that any of the participants in the political scene will pick up on this country manual and work diligently towards fulfilling it.

The way it looks right now, we will have to have a lot of patience.

But then again, patience is all we've ever had.

Mubarak's caricature courtesy of http://www.opdebeeck.com/.