Egypt Civil Society Post-Mubarak

11 February 2011 marks the day the “People’s Revolution” of Egypt saw President Hosni Mubarak stepdown after 30 years and following weeks of street protests.  

 Described by some as the winds of change, the Middle East and Northern Africa have seen a series of political shifts which reflect widespread discontent of the people.

The courage of this Egyptian movement is testament to the thousands of Egyptians who have suffered imprisonment, torture and assassination at the hands of former President Mubarak’s regime, which has systematically suppressed the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Egyptian people and curtailed the ability of civil society to exercise its rights to expression, association and assembly.

The jubilation of the Egyptian people must now give way to the processes that seek a democratically run country, where political reform is paramount and corruption is a thing of the past.

CIVICUS met via teleconference with a wide selection of members and partners in the region last week.   The clear mandate from this group is continued support and solidarity from wider international civil society.   

The international community has a critical role to play in supporting the Egyptian people to realise their aspirations for a free and democratic society.

We agreed that we should be guided by the following principles:

• Any transition/ handover of power must be a democratic one, i.e the new administration must legitimately enjoy the support of the people.  Planning of the transition to democracy is inclusive, credible, transparent, and accountable to the Egyptian people.

• The demonstrators’ freedom to protest peacefully and access information must be respected in all circumstances.

• Maintaining order is accepted but also respecting the fundamental freedom of expression, association and assembly.

• The present movement is locally led and home grown. This must be recognised and supported by the wider international community.