Yesterday Egpyt had presidential elections, the first time in history with more then one candidate. Though turnout was low, it was nonetheless an important step for reform and democracy in the Middle East. One that will could be looked upon as a watershed event, 5, 10, 25 years in the future. The Economist recoginizes this:

And if the changes in many countries remain shallow, the whole floor of public debate has clearly shifted to questions of when and how to reform, rather than why. This is true even of regional laggards such as Libya, Saudi Arabia and Syria, which have all taken wobbly first steps towards wider public participation in government. Where bigger steps have been taken, such as in Egypt, the public appetite has been whetted rather than appeased. “This election was just a drill, which the government would never have accepted without foreign badgering,” admits an Egyptian official. “But it sets the stage for parliamentary elections that may get really interesting.” These are due in November. If debate stays lively until then, a lot more Egyptians may actually bother to vote.

Read the whole thing.

UPDATE: (5:41PM) Irregularities?

Posted by Ryan S. on Thursday, September 08, 2005 at 4:39 PM | Permalink |