NDP OFFICIALS ON PARTY DYNAMICS, POLITICAL PARTIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 000464

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA, NEA/ELA AND DRL/NESCA
NSC FOR PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2029
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: NDP OFFICIALS ON PARTY DYNAMICS, POLITICAL PARTIES
AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Classified By: Ambassador Margaret Scobey for reason 1.4 (b).

KEY POINTS

-- (C) The Ambassador hosted a March 11 lunch for key ruling
National Democratic Party (NDP) officials. The officials
described recent developments within the NDP, such as
increased participation by women and youth, and local leaders
being chosen through open elections, instead of by
appointments.

-- (C) The officials discussed the relative merits of Egypt's
current single district electoral system versus a political
party list system. They believed that the current system
favors individual candidates, and that a list system would
strengthen parties, women and Coptic Christians. One
official noted that the 2007 constitutional amendments allow
for a mixed system, such as Germany's, and that the NDP would
resolve the issue "soon."

-- (C) Comment: A party list system would block Muslim
Brotherhood (MB) candidates from running as independents, as
they have done in the past, due to the ban on the MB as a
political party.

-- (C) The officials discussed the U.S. 2008 Egypt Human
Rights Report, asking the Ambassador how the U.S. compiles
the report, and opining that the GOE consistently rejects the
report because the Egyptian public is critical of the
document.

--------------
New Internal Party Dynamics
--------------


2. (C) Secretary of the NDP Media Committee Dr. Aley Eddin
Hilal Dessouqi noted a new level of competitiveness within
the NDP, with individuals increasingly harboring their own
political aspirations, as opposed to the previous
consensus-based approach. The political landscape is
changing, he said, but at a slow pace. He cited growing
numbers of women and youth in the party as a significant new
development. Dr. Alia Al Mahdi, a Cairo University Dean and
the NDP's pollster, explained that elections at the local
party level are influencing the NDP hierarchy, while in the
past officials were appointed. She said that 60 percent of
the candidates in the most recent local party elections were
newcomers to the NDP. Candidates were freely elected at the
local and governorate levels, she noted.

--------------
The Role of Political Parties
--------------


3. (C) The officials discussed the relative merits of a
single district "first past the post" electoral system versus
a party list system, in reference to the 2010 parliamentary
elections. NDP Business Sector Secretary Dr. Hossam Badrawi
opined that a list system would allow for the increased
political participation by opposition parties, women and
Coptic Christians. NDP Secretary for Political Training and
Education Dr. Mohammed Kamal described the current single
district system as favoring individual candidates and
emphasizing the relationship between candidate and
constituent.


4. (C) Kamal opined that Egypt's proportional representation
system in the 1980's strengthened political parties, women
and Copts. He noted that the 2007 constitutional amendments
allow for the possibility of a mixed single district and
party list system, similar to Germany's process. He
explained that the NDP is currently debating this question,
and would resolve it soon. (Comment: Introducing even a
partial party list system is attractive to the NDP because it
would exclude Muslim Brotherhood (MB) candidates. Because
the MB is banned as a party, MB candidates have run as
independents in the past; they would not be able to do so
under a party list system. End comment.)


5. (C) Dr. Dessouqi noted that the "ruling elite" wants to
open the political system to more parties. Increased
democracy and active political party life is in Egypt's
national interest, he contended; "This is what we need, and
we should do whatever will lead to this goal." He asserted
that the platforms of all Egyptian political parties are "75
percent similar," advocating peace, prosperity and good
relations with other Arab states. Because of this, Dessouqi
claimed, elections are essentially "apolitical," and instead

CAIRO 00000464 002 OF 002


based on constituent services. Dr. Badrawi called for a
comprehensive NDP plan for decentralization that would
empower local councils. Dr. Dessouqi suggested that a
parliamentary commission could study the issue.

--------------
Human Rights
--------------


6. (C) Dr. Dessouqi noted the March 10 "Washington Post"
Op-Ed critical of the Secretary's public comments about the
2008 Human Rights Report on Egypt. Dr. Kamal asserted that
the Democratic Party has traditionally been more active on
human rights than the Republicans. He asked the Ambassador
how the Department compiles human rights reports, commenting
that the report is a perennially popular topic in the
Egyptian media. The Ambassador explained the process and
noted that the USG works to verify press reports through
independent, credible sources. Dr. Dessouqi welcomed such
verification, and criticized the Egyptian press for
frequently publishing inaccurate stories. The Ambassador
emphasized that the reports note both negative and positive
government actions on human rights, and underscored that the
Secretary invited countries to comment on U.S. human rights
practices.


7. (C) Secretary of the NDP Foreign Relations Committee Dr.
Mohammed Abdellah opined that the Secretary "minimized" the
human rights report during her March 2 interview with
"Al-Arabiya." He asserted that because the Egyptian public
is critical of the report, the GOE believes it also must
reject the document. Dr. Badrawi said that he and prominent
NDP lawyer Mona Zulficar will be drafting Egypt's submission
for the 2009 UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic
Review, which will measure the GOE's human rights performance
against the relevant treaties and conventions it has signed.
He asserted that the NDP has been active on human rights
reforms, especially over the past six years. Dr. Dessouqi
noted that GOE actions in human rights stem from Egyptian
interests. He called for "private, candid" bilateral
discussions on human rights.
SCOBEY