How to restrain Suleiman's power

With Hillary Clinton's backing for Suleiman as the lead on a transition in Egypt, we are quickly heading towards the formation of another strongman regime that cannot be trusted to deliver on the changes needed in the political environment. There needs to be a mechanism to integrate the opposition into the heart of the state to grant full legitimacy to its demand, and reduce the perception (and reality) of Omar Suleiman being the sole man at the helm. I'm no constitutional scholar, so please consider this as a brainstorm more than a serious proposal.

Under the Egyptian constitution, the president can delegate his powers by decree to the vice-president. This is what Mubarak did to grant Suleiman the authority to negotiate with the protestors. But the Egyptian constitution also allows for more than one vice-president, according to its Article 139:

Art.139:   The President of the Republic may appoint one or more Vice-Presidents define their jurisdiction and relieve them of their posts. The rules relating to the calling to account of the President of the Republic shall be applicable to the Vice-Presidents.

It would be wise at this point to curtail Suleiman's power by handing out different functions to different vice-presidents as Mubarak withdraws from any lead role in handling the crisis. Some of what multiple vice-presidents could do:

1. A vice-president to handle to act as a constitutional ombudsman, focusing on the enforcement of the rule of law and guiding the constitutional reform process. Could be someone like Tareq al-Bishri or Yehia al-Gammal.
2. A vice-president to oversee and investigate the Ministry of Interior. Fully delegated to have the Minister of Interior answer to him, charged with preserving MoI documents, restoring the police's presence, the dismantlement of the Popular Committees, and investigating the security vacuum. A prominent judge would be appropriate here.
3. A vice-president for media and communications. This person would look at preventing any further tampering with communications by the authorities, and oversee state media to ensure equal access and the end of the propaganda and incitement of the last week. He would appoint a new Minister of Information to replace Anas al-Fiqi, who is chiefly responsible for the sad spectacle of state propaganda over the last week. Ideally, this should be a person known for media professionalism and neutrality: Salama Ahmed Salama, Hisham Kassem, etc.
4. A vice-president that would oversee the relaunch of the economy, with economic ministers and the head of financial institutions such as the Central Bank and the Financial Services Authority directly answering to him — a kind of economic war room. Ideally, a prominent economist or even the respected head of the Central Bank, Farouk al-Ogda.

Omar Suleiman would remain as the vice-president representing the ancien regime and taking the lead with the negotiations with the (hopefully more united than it currently is) opposition. Personally, I think such a bargain would make it worth it to postpone the demand that Mubarak step down immediately.

Comments

[SP]

I'm of the opinion that a constituent assembly of some kind will be more effective. It's very difficult to promote reform from within a constitutional order designed to quell it. The people you've listed above could very well be members of a transitional advisory board to the VP who will lay out the skeleton framework for a transition to democratic elections - starting with basic amendments to laws restricting political parties and judicial independence. Or perhaps instead of this corporatist solution which might allow the parting regime to handpick the opposition as it's always done, there should be elections for the constituent assembly from among a list of judges and legal experts. That's my 2 qirsh.

[SP]

Here's Mr. Democratic Transitions' view: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/04/AR2011020403021.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[robyn tevah]

I would really like to see this piece get wider international attention!! (I don't know your following in Egypt, or how much of what you present is reasonably weel known to Egyptians.) As an American I feel my job is to try to play watchdog and understand who my government seems to be trying to empower, and what dumb mistakes they are making either because they don't have good analyses, or because they don't think the American public does. (Such as sending a quasi-envoy who works for a lobbying firm with ties to the regime -- see enduring america website.)

I ALSO BEG YOU TO TRY TO WRITE A PIECE ABOUT TWO GROUPS: One is the group of "wise men," and the other is whover Souleiman has been talking to. I have started keeping running lists every time a name is mentioned (and also one of the protesters who have articulated positions on reforms). But with not that much background on Egypt excpet the eight plus hours a day I've been spending for the last two weeks, it's sometimes hard for me to asess who might represent real change and who is more of the 'same old.' Googling people's names has it's limits.....
It's a bit ironic that the most conservative source I check many times a day (NYT) is the one who pointed out your excellent piece on the NDP shuffle. The others I check constanly are al jezeera, enduringamerica, and the guardian. Thanks so much

[andrew]

All sound like good ideas, but typically a Central Bank governor is supposed to have a large degree of autonomy to base decisions on monetary and fiscal policy rather than politics.

[2doistoby]

I think you need to inject / prioritise an anti-corruption culture right at this point. This is the chance so to speak. It gets harder to do it as things re-freeze around a new order..

The outgoing regime will do everything |to retain influence and wealth, just as happened in the East bloc (where former communists helped themselves to state assets). Nepotism, cronyism etc need to be hit head on, fast.

[Issandr El Amrani]

I suspect al ogda can leave behind a competent governor to replace him.

[Gregory D. MELLOTT]

This is a very late post in that much has changed since the article was written.

It is nice to note the relatively peaceful way change has occurred there. [It is saddening to note the sever troubles in other places that are trying to follow in your wake. I suspect those who are supposed to be the party policing things are too unsettled, and possibly too fearful, to be as 'big' in their way of relating to protestors. They may 'know' each other 'too well' and have not achieved the mellower relationship likely required to readily achieve what happened with you. A more reserved third party may be a big help to calm things down if it was possible. The Washington Post link given above might be helpful reading also. What's in a man’s heart they will surely try to do. So should a peaceful 'common' vision of hope can be found, it will likely bloom,]

I've seen some key things that are of value in South Africa's (long read) 'Constitution'. The checking potentials of the Deputy Presidents is a nice pro-active method that may even be able to take SECRET MATTERS to the Courts. The US Constitution used to also have some potential for diversity in the Administration before the election process was amended. The closest I can see it ever returning with political parties in the mix, is with the party coming in second also being a Vice-President like position. Anyway, should such diversity had been a required part of the DEFINITION OF a Democratic Republic; it may have prevented many Democracy attempts from getting hijacked by a man and a party and falling to a dictatorship of some type.

Where South Africa's Constitution runs into the matter of promoting a non-prejudice of one's sex; I don't know just how they relate logically to that. Yet I have to say that the word at its base means 'reproduction'. And many times the word is used where reproduction is not possible, or not the focus. And where reproduction is the concern, nature is itself is notably prejudice. And respecting reality is where real health is at for both us and our endangered environment.

A sincere foreigner, gdm

[Gregory D. MELLOTT]

Perhaps I should add: God help us all where we get divided from the Full Nature of Reality in the deeply caring nature, or way, of Jesus His Resurrected Builder that seems ever going F*ther On, and even yet so near; whether found with our accent, or not.