Participants in National Dialogue Reject a Proposal for Reconciliation with Key Figures of Mubarak’s Ousted Regime

Participants in National Dialogue Reject a Proposal for Reconciliation with Key Figures of Mubarak’s Ousted Regime

 In the first session of the national dialogue which is headed by caretaker Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to forge a new social era, Dr.Hassan Nafaa, a professor and chairman of the Political Science department at Cairo University , refused to enlist an item on how to make reconciliation with officials of the former ruling regime in the agenda of the national dialogue.

"One of the major reasons behind the eruption of the 25 January revolution was to overthrow Mubarak and his corrupt regime," Nafaa said. Writer and journalist Dr. Sakina Fouad agreed with him and Abdul Jalil Mustafa, who also asked to promptly open a probe with all symbols of Mubarak’s regime, as state institutions are still under their control.

Nafaa hoped that the national dialogue would lead to tangible results and demanded it focuses on important issues like the transition, new governance system, reform of structure and regulation of universities, establishing new rules for elections, solving judiciary problems, re-formulating foreign policy and the system that will work for Egypt: presidential, semi-presidential, or parliamentary.

 Essam Sultan, founder of the Wasat Party, stressed that "we are in the pre-constitution-making era, and we need to be assured of the possibility that the dialogue does not lead to tangible results, suggesting that the dialogue’s sessions should be in line with new decisions reflecting the results of what we are talking about."

Coptic thinker Ikram Lamei called for "a debate on the new regime in Egypt, asking if it ist the beginning of a peaceful movement to renew the Constitution, the State, and the regime. Is it easier to establish a state that is not on a religious basis or on a civil, democratic and free state? Or, a state with civil and religious liberty in which there is room for everyone?

 One of the participants in the national dialogue is businessman Hany Aziz who underscored the significance of a constructive dialogue, tackling the right of Egyptian expatriates to vote in the presidential election, suggesting that there be "a establishment of a National Council to follow up affairs of Egyptians abroad."

 Dr. Ahmed Yousef, a professor in Political Science, agreed to a proposal by Dr. Galal Amin on the necessity of forming sub-committees to resolve the growing problem of sectarian violence in Egypt, giving priority to restoring security and showing respect for the rule of law.

 Essam el-Erian, a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, said "we can not reach reconciliation unless there are clear investigations and trails for the former regime’s corrupted figures."