Amr El Shobaki
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Open in new tab An electoral code is formulated in a way that facilitates the political life of a state and guards the political rights of citizens and political parties. In most cases, where an electoral code seems to be biased towards or against certain individuals and/or political parties, the reignig government is usually one of an autocratic nature.
In Egypt’s case, talks of a code favoring either the civil or the islamic forces, would go against the public interest and the ongoing democratization process.
In reality, those laws, whether the party list system or the single system, could in and of
themselves not guaratee a win for any party involved, even if they were set up in a way to do so. Nothing could compensate for an obvious lack of organization and campaigning.
Any law should be formulated with a particular vision mind while simultaneously considering the political, cultural and socio-economic framework it would be functioning within. In the case of Egypt, the new electoral code should carry the spirit of the revolution and aim at fostering the new sense of political awarness, move towards active political participation and full democratization. Dr. Amr Shobki suggest a law that would impose the single constituencies’ system for two thirds;the recent cancellation of the workers and framers quota, will serve to limit the constituencies for the single system further. This shift would mean that the citizens would now be choosing their candidates on their merit, strength of their party’s programs and abiliting to engage with their respective constituencies. Complimentating a predominantly single system with the list system, while initially seeing very choatic and non-sensical, would actually facilitate the rise of academics and intellectuals to power.
One of the most common critisisms of the single voting constituencies is that they tend to be corrupt and the winning individuals are usually from powerful clans or ones with an already established political base (such as the former National Democratic Party). However, one must not reject a system or a law solely because the implementation thereof is flawed. The recommended system would force anyone running from a single constituency to either have been born in said constituency, be currently living or working there. The same rules would apply to those running through the list system. This would eliminate those running for seats in other governorates, from Cairo, through the list system.
These new laws would capitalize on the revolution’s demands, including increased transparency and accountability, and create a fair and competitive electoral system that would result in a more diverse, and effective parliament.