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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (47953)	3/5/2005 6:13:40 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

Betting on democracies is the best bet available -- but it is not a sure bet. Lebanon's red rose revolution washingtontimes.com The turn of events in Lebanon are significant in and of themselves, but they also build on democracy's march in the region. This weeknd, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak announced constitutional reform allowing a presidential election, though the details are unclear. The government may only allow candidates from officially registered political parties to run, which would eliminate many prominent opposition figures. Also, the tightly controlled media will likely continue to strictly limit the public debate. Still, a vote would represent considerable improvement over the "referendums" that Mr. Mubarak has held in the past to try to legitimize his 24-year rule. Egypt's announcement follows the democratic elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, and by Palestinians. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is holding municipal elections and the country's foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said Sunday the government may allow women to vote in future elections. The ongoing municipal elections could grant marginalized Shi'ites a degree of local power in that country. These advancements demonstrate that President Bush's firm support of democracy is showing tangible results, despite considerable obstacles. Mr. Bush had specifically called on both Egypt and Saudi Arabia to lead democratic reform in the region by example. The president's strategy is beginning to look more than merely plausible, even to some of his sharpest critics. We support the president's Middle Eastern democracy project because the status quo has been the primary cause of the current plague of global terrorism -- and because we have not heard proposed a more plausible method to end that still growing, mortal threat. But we are also mindful that should full representative governments emerge in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and elsewhere in those troubled lands, there is no certainty that they will behave consistent with our national security interests. The administration should make at least as much effort to shape the attitudes of those future democracies, as it is making to bring them into being in the first place. Betting on democracies is the best bet available -- but it is not a sure bet.