BY DOGU ERGIL
TODAY’S ZAMAN- The Arab world is enjoying a phenomenon that is unprecedented: Power has descended from the palaces to the streets. Now it is the hope of millions that it neither returns to where it came from or goes to the military barracks and stays there for a long time, disappointing the people who have yearned for it for decades
The likelihood of the backsliding of political reforms that are expected soon is a serious concern of the people who have organized the largest political street party in Egypt and Tunisia. Now it is the responsibility of political parties, civil society institutions, professional organizations, trade unions, universities and the media to vigilantly observe the making of democracy. This is a collective responsibility. Otherwise the armed forces -- tasked with the duty of overseeing the period of transition until a legitimate government is formed and a civilian constitution is made -- may seize the power it wields without any real competitor.
Arab intellectuals and democrats are quite aware of the challenges to a peaceful transfer of power (as outlined in the Casablanca Declaration two weeks ago):
1- An immediate undertaking of profound and effective political reforms that respect the rule of law and institutional integrity based on the principle of separation of powers, confirming the ballot box as the only legitimate method of achieving a peaceful transfer of power, ensuring the transparency of the electoral process and accepting its results;
2- Protection of an independent judiciary as a top priority for democratic change, as a prerequisite for the protection of human rights and freedoms and as the guarantor for the supremacy of the rule of law and state institutions;
3- Acknowledgment of the right of civil society organizations to perform their advocacy roles freely and effectively, having their independence and privacy duly respected, their internal affairs not disrupted and their sources of financial support kept open and active. Arab governments must engage with civil society organizations in a real partnership to achieve sustainable human development and to empower women and youth to take part in the development process;
4- Guarantee of freedom of expression, free access of the media and journalists to information and news sources. The respect for the independence of journalists’ syndicates and allowing them to disseminate information and opinion without censorship and undue administrative or judicial pressures and the abolishment of the imprisonment penalty in cases against journalists;
5- Development of mechanisms to ensure the neutrality of state institutions and their placement in the direct service of their constituents regardless of political allegiances and without interference in the affairs of political parties and civil society organizations;
6- Mobilization of all forces and efforts to comply with good governance, political integrity and transparency and to combat corruption as an unethical social, political and economic phenomenon that has turned administrative corruption into a system for administering corruption that undermines development efforts, drains national resources and threatens social peace;
7- Summoning of the private sector to play its role by contributing to political reforms, affirming the strong link between development and democracy and ensuring transparency and free and fair competition;
8- Supporting efforts to achieve national reconciliation and unity while avoiding the dangers that threaten unity and feed sectarian, religious, ethnic and political conflicts that destabilize Arab states and societies;
9- Appealing to democratic forces in the entire world to put pressure on their own governments to refrain from supporting non-democratic regimes in the Arab world and from adopting double standards in their relations with Arab regimes; and
10- Reaffirmation of the interconnectedness of political reform, ensuring religious and secular freedom of thought and supporting dialogue between them to provide solid ground for the development of democracy and political pluralism.
The tasks are colossal, time is short and patience is even shorter.