December 4th, 2009 by Zack

The Middle East Online reports that former IAEA chief Mohamed ELBaradei announced he would consider running for the Egyptian presidency if the election process were democratic.  He is calling for “the establishment of a national independent body to organise all matters related to the election process,” judicial and international review to create transparency, and a lifting of restrictions on who may run.  He also stresses the need for a new constitution “based on freedoms and human rights agreed upon internationally.”

In a similar vein, The Daily News Egypt reports that the coalition of opposition forces put forth seven demands to ensure a free presidential and parliamentary elections.  These demands include: a two-term limit for the presidency, ending the emergency law, allowing judicial monitoring of elections,  allowing groups to run multiple candidates, creating a computerized national ID for voting, allowing all parties access to government media to campaign, campaign budget disclosures, and lifting restrictions on opposition candidates that limits communication between candidates and the public.  The coalition intends to present draft laws to parliament to address these concerns.

An AFP article elucidates further on the report on Egyptian human rights prepared for the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights (see our previous post).  The article stresses the systematic use of torture, transforming Egypt into a police state, as well as the “prevalence of a policy of exception in which those responsible for violations usually escape punishment.”  Egypt’s emergency laws make no provision to protect Egyptians against torture, “a systematic, routine practice” of the police.

BikyaMasr reports on the Coptic community’s request for “all media, journalists, Egyptian and international human rights activists, to attend the first International Conference to Stop the Violence Against Copts” that will seek to address continued state restrictions and outright aggression against Coptic worship.  In addition, BkyaMasr reports on continued calls from social activists for the government to adopt a sexual harassment law.  Activists argue that Egypt’s inability to address this issue illustrates “the deterioration of moralities in the society.”  According to a recent report, 98% of foreign women and 80% of Egyptian women are subjected to daily sexual harassment, fostered by the police’s decision not to intervene.

Posted in Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Legislation, Political Parties, Reform, Women |