The speech of President Mubarak before the members of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council came to launch a framework for the march of the economic and political change in Egypt. Mubarak began his speech by confirming the continuation of reform after the reconstruction stage given that Egypt continued the process of the social and economic reform then it kicked off the real political change.

Mubarak began the process of the political change by calling for amending Article 76 of the Constitution, being the first president elected in multi-candidate election. In his speech before the PA and the Shura Council, Mubarak demanded the amendment of 34 articles including Article 76, being the largest amendment in two decades.

No doubt, Mubarak's message goes beyond the holding of constitutional amendments to changing the political climate in Egypt plus fixing the basis of the national solidarity away from rhetoric. President Mubarak specified five axes for the next phase: confirming the concept of citizenship, its values and principles, fixing the sovereignty of the people as a source of powers, boosting the role of the parties, combating terror and tackling the political, social and economic life in Egypt.

Ibrahim Nafie
Al Ahram
28-12-2006