The American Elections and the Concerns of the Ruling Party

I’m writing this article after I learnt of certain information about discussions between the highest members in the Politics Committee* in the ruling party, and in some of the highest governing circles. The discussions concerned the American presidential elections, which until now have been the most important elections in the world, not just because America is the biggest power in our world, but also because the American president has great power derived from the American constitution.

It’s well known that the power of the American president is not absolute, as it is subject to the will of Congress and its two councils, strong public opinion and a powerful media. However, despite this we can say that the American president rules not just America but to a large extent the whole world, and can even take significant political decisions against his regular allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) such as France and Germany, as he did with the Iraq war.

All the world is watching these elections, and they may be more interesting as they follow Bush’s presidency, which has been an era of major problems due to his poor decisions. Further, these elections witness personalities such as Barack Obama, the first black American candidate, who is new to Congress and to American politics.

The majority in the Politics Committee in the ruling party in Egypt share one hope: the success of the Republican candidate John McCain. The Politics Committee believes that it can have a better relationship with Republicans, despite the fact that relations between President Bush and the Egyptian leadership have recently not been harmonious.

Following the conferences of the two parties there were signs that McCain was ahead of Obama by one or two points, a lead welcomed by the Politics Committee. But as time passed it appeared that Obama was making greater progress, more specifically that the economic crisis was very effective in increasing his support, and further that he will be the next American president if there are no big surprises in the next three weeks. Obama’s progress has created gloom and pessimism in the Politics Committee.

Why do those who consider themselves future leaders do not want Obama to succeed? Why do they fear it?

It’s all about the application of democracy, the ending of emergency laws, and suspending the dictatorial regimes in Egypt and other countries. Egypt and some other countries have entered into an unwritten deal with the Republicans that the Republicans will not take serious action towards changing undemocratic regimes, but will continue with the rhetoric of the need for democracy in Egypt so as to satisfy American public opinion, the press, civil rights organizations and some circles inside Congress.

Obama was clear and firm in his last debate with McCain, when he said that he can’t agree to give a dictator like Musharaf, who has made no democratic changes, tens of billions of dollars. He added that if America was going to give, it will give to the Pakistani people so as to gain their trust and cooperation. America will not make alliances with dictatorships.

Fearing the unknown in Obama is a source of terror to the worn and incredibly corrupt regime in Egypt. The Egyptian suppression can’t for a second resist a genuine American pressure. This regime knows well that when Condoleezza Rice was showing little concern about the state of democracy in Egypt this resulted in political moves in Egypt which until now has caused annoyance – and may be – the regime will never find its way around these new political moves.

Despite the fact that the American president can not alone decide America foreign policy due to other foreign policy bodies within the American administration, he does have a major role in choosing between different options. It seems that Obama’s moral code is higher than that of the American politicians we’ve seen to date, and this terrifies not only the Egyptian regime, but the state of Israel as well.

The Egyptian regime is right to be very anxious about the American elections. This is because it has made plans for the transfer of presidential power in Egypt against an overwhelming rejection by the Egyptian people, and it is expected that this will happen in the era of the incoming American president. It is clear that this transfer of power will be far more complicated without being given a green light from the American leadership.

Surveys throughout the world show that public opinion of America is at its lowest and they show that global public opinion backs Barack Obama, because it believes he will improve the morality of American politics. It is well known that dictatorial regimes won’t be comfortable with a global system that speaks of human rights, free elections, giving freedom to political parties, and respect for the dignity of its citizens.

* Translators note: The ruling party in Egypt – The National Democratic Party – has a ‘Politics Committee’, the chairman of which is Jamal Mubarak, who the son of the Egyptian president Hossny Mubarak.