Declaration of Popular Campaign for Change

Cairo, 11 November 2004

For the election of the president of the republic from among more than one candidate

The Popular Campaign for Change

Statement to the Egyptian People
The undersigned parties, political groups, civil society organizations, members of workers and professionals syndicates and trade unions, intellectuals, artists and citizens from all sectors of the Egyptian people, believe that a system based on the parliament's nomination of one candidate for the presidency of the republic, to be approved by a general referendum and his subsequent right to stay in power for an infinite number of terms, in addition to the absolute powers granted by the constitution to the president of the republic, against a background of rigging of the elections and referenda leading to the abstinence of the majority of Egyptians from political participation.. all the above has befallen political life in Egypt with a state of stagnation, to the point that talk has been spreading among political and popular circles of the possibility of transmission of power in Egypt through inheritance.
After 24 years of Mubarak's rule it has become evident that the regime constitutes an obstacle in the way of the change and development that the country needs to achieve in order to face the economic and social challenges that it faces and which have led to widespread corruption, deterioration of infrastructure, monstrous rise in prices, deterioration in the level of livelihood of citizens and aggravation of unemployment. At the same time the country faces external challenges that threaten its national security represented in the continued aggressive policies of the Zionist State and the US occupation of Iraq.
The undersigned to this statement announce their determination to struggle for a constitutional change before the end of the present term of the president of the republic in October 2004, and for the present term to be the last for President Mubarak. They stress that the suggested change should be in place as soon as possible, in order to allow the different political groups the opportunity to a real participation in the coming presidential elections; and in order that the Egyptian people can reclaim its right to choose its rulers and hold them accountable and its right to a free, decent and humane life to all citizens, a life that is free of unemployment, corruption, silencing of voices and torture in prisons and police stations.
Freedom and Democracy are a basic genuine right for every human being.
"God has created us free and we shall never again be enslaved nor inherited"
In view of all of the above the undersigned demand the following:
1- Change of constitution that permits the election of the president of the republic from among more than one candidate, on the condition that each mandate would not exceed two subsequent terms and the reduction of the authorities of the president of the republic in order to guarantee a genuine and real separation of authorities.
2- Lifting of the emergency state and all freedom restricting laws and the release of all detainees and prisoners of conscience.
3- Change the laws governing the exercise of political rights and complete judicial supervision of the different stages of the elections.

Signatories (in Arabic alphabetical order)
Revolutionary Socialists, Moslem Brotherhood, 20th of March Movement for Change, Socialist People's Party, Egyptian communist Party, Labor Party, El Ghad Party, El Karama Movement Party (under establishment).
Arab Program for Human Rights Defenders, Egyptian Association for the Right to Work, Committee for the Defense of Citizen's Rights in North Sinai, Egyptian Social Center, Justice Center for Political Studies, Egyptian Center for Housing Right, Hisham Mubrark Law Center.