Mubarak Needs to Secure Egypt’s Future Before Discussing Peace Abroad

For Immediate Release

August 27, 2010

The Egyptian Association for Change and the Coalition of Egyptian American organizations call on President Obama to discuss Egypt’s future and necessary election reforms with Egyptian President Mubarak. Obama’s invitation Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to the White House on September 2^nd, 2010 to participate in the Peace talks seem to ignore the deteriorating situation in Egypt.  Since this maybe the last visit of Mr. Mubarak to Washington, our groups believes that democracy and stability in Egypt are the greatest guarantees to a stable and peaceful Middle East. With President, Mubarak’s deteriorating health, and the amounting dissident against the Egyptian government, Egypt faces an immediate security challenges ahead of the upcoming elections if it doesn’t take necessary reforms to organize credible and competitive election process.

The organizations calls on both president Obama and President Mubarak to implement the seven basic demands of democratic reforms --- presented by Dr. Moahmed Elbaradie—and which was adopted by most serious opposition parties and was supported by formal signatures of more than a million Egyptian citizens so far. The demands include revoking emergency law, allowing independent candidates like Dr. Mohamed Elbaradei, to run in the presidential elections without restrictions, restoring judicial supervision on the elections, and allowing access for international and local election monitoring groups.

It is in the interest of the United States to urge basic reforms that will place Egypt on a path to genuine political reform while also improving the lives of ordinary Egyptians, contributing to regional stability, and enhancing the image and credibility of the United States in the Arab region.  The United States can regain its credibility in the Middle East by convincingly censuring Egypt’s deliberate efforts to ignore the desire of its citizens for democracy and human rights. Supporting measures that enshrine these values is consistent with US ideals and with the stated objectives of the new administration, while maintaining the status quo with respect to Egypt only undermines these vital interests and objectives.