The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) criticized the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) refusal to make any changes to the electoral system in order to guarantee the integrity of the November People’s Assembly elections. The organization demanded the formation of a High Council for Elections in which members of the judiciary would monitor all phases of the electoral process.
The EOHR emphasized in their statement Friday morning that the NDP’s refusal to conduct reforms contradicts the demands of all Egyptian political forces, and insisted on the necessity of providing a variety of basic safeguards to guarantee transparent elections. These safeguards include forming the High Council for Elections, which would consist of a president and eight appellate court judges, and expanding the duties of that committee to monitor all phases of the electoral process.
President of the EOHR Hafez Abu Saada cited the necessity of civil society representation before each election committee, and called for both the separation of state organizations from the ruling party and a ban on the use of public funds during the elections.
Meanwhile, rights activist and author Ahdaf Soueif described the National Democratic Party in an article for the British newspaper The Guardian as “a conduit for corruption," writing that the anger of the people can “defeat our divided rulers."
“Opposition is mounting, and our anger can defeat our divided leaders when the time is right, and that time is the 2011 presidential elections,” Soueif continues.
Soueif noted that after the 2005 elections and the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory over 88 seats in parliament, “The National Democratic Party learned its lesson” and began to develop techniques to control high positions in civil society organizations.
According to Soueif, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Dr. Mohamed Elbaradei is not “the charismatic savior” that some hoped he would be, noting however, that "he was able to gather approximately 800,000 signatures supporting his demands for change."
