What happened in the GPC 7th conference in Aden? [Archives:2006/916/Opinion]
Prof. Abdulaziz al-Tarb
The General People's Congress (GPC) performance has emphasized that it is an organization with a political party characteristics, living to the responsibility. It appeared to others as possessing political intelligence because it managed to absorb the masses' anger and infused new bloods into its entity. It has given the impression that it is acting within the circle of modernization and change and that its data are compatible with the democratization it has introduced in its literatures and programs for modernization and change.
The local elections of April 2006 would widely open the gate to competition and would constitute an inlet that must be prepared for ahead of the presidential elections in September 2006. The results of the Egyptian elections must be studied and analyzed, as an important experiment, while we are preparing for the local and presidential elections.
Those who will possibly capture the highest numbers of seats in the local elections are going to be a weakening factor for the ruling party and constitute a major pressure and opposition force challenging the party of majority in its preparations for the presidential elections as well as the following parliamentary elections in 2009. For this reason the GPC must carry out early preparation, especially because many people would prefer to give their votes to opposition parties in defiance of the GPC. They are aware that the ruling party has committed many mistakes in dealing with concerns of the people, particularly its failure to curb expensive living, fight corruption, and provide job opportunities for many young graduates from universities and institutes and increase wages proportionate to average of inflation. This is not to be considered an approach pursued by a party. For how could it approve and adopt a program and does not implement it? How come to draw up plans and would not carry them out? How would the it ask the public to vote for it without observing the simplest of their rights and requirements for dignified life through providing health care, security, curbing of unemployment, fighting corruption and inflation that has exhausted all increases in wages and salaries?
The opposition parties can be able to read variables taking place on the regional and international arenas and avoid straying from the way. They can do that through selection of elements for the local council entertaining presence and respect in the street to render that as a practical approach to the presidential elections and the parliamentary elections in 2009. The opposition's victory through personalities having the power of political giving with the highest standard of results, would serve the need for modernization and change. Such a result will deprive magnates of the old guard of maintaining their positions, especially after they had gone too far in committing mistakes and taking advantage of the public service.
We do not want the parties to stray from the way or the ruling party to benefit from their non-coordination and consequently comes with a sweeping victory in the elections of the local councils.
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb is an economist and a professor in Political Science and an expert in administrative development. He is the head of a number of professional associations, such as the Arab Group for Investment and Development.
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