Cablegate: Talking Reform: Embassy Cairo Organizes Iftar
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UNCLAS CAIRO 008421
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ECON KPAO OPRC EG
SUBJECT: TALKING REFORM: EMBASSY CAIRO ORGANIZES IFTAR
SEMINARS ON REFORM IN EGYPT
1. Summary: As part of ongoing efforts to support and
encourage reform in Egypt, post funded and organized a
series of iftar seminars during Ramadan. PA worked with
members of the Al-Ahram Regional Press Institute to arrange
three iftars from October 19 to October 30. The iftar
seminars took place in Cairo and touched on media reform
and privatization, economic reform, and democratic reform.
Post's USAID director and the head of the Foreign
Commercial Service spoke at two of the seminars, all of
which were attended by Egyptian government officials, media
figures, business leaders, and independents. Media
coverage of all the three events was extensive. End
summary.
2. Media reform: Post's Public Affairs section, working
with the Al-Ahram Regional Press Institute, organized three
iftar seminars from October 19 to October 30 in Cairo to
support reform efforts in Egypt and encourage further
dialog on reform. The first iftar seminar, entitled The
Future of the Press and Media Privatization Trends," took
place on October 19. The first iftar seminar touched on
media ownership and how it affects free expression and the
public's access to information. Participants also
discussed how media reform is a key element of broader
political reforms. Egyptian government-controlled
television was criticized harshly by most speakers.
Participants engaged in a lively discussion on ways to
downsize Egyptian TV (ETV) from its current level of 38,000
under-employed staff and make it more professional and
profitable. Panelists included the editor of the popular
weekly Sawt Al-Umma (circulation: 75,000); the editor of
f
leading independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm (circulation:
20,000); the head of satellite channel Dream TV; and the
director of ETV news.
3. Economic reform: Egyptian Minister of Investment
Mahmoud Mohieldin was the featured speaker at the October
25 iftar seminar on economic reform, which focused mainly
on privatization and the relationship between the
government and private sector. The head of the Embassy's
Foreign Commercial Service spoke on the challenges Egypt
faces in privatization and encouraged the journalists
present to educate the public on these challenges.
4. Democratic reform: Participants at the October 30
iftar seminar on democratic reform discussed the potential
for "true" multi-party elections in Egypt and the
impediments to that, the role of media in strengthening
Egypt's electoral system, the role of ruling party and
opposition groups, the representation of women and Copts in
the upcoming elections, the issue of gradual transformation
towards democracy, the need for additional constitutional
change, and encouraging a "culture" of political
participation in Egypt. The Director of USAID Egypt spoke
on the media's role in supporting democracy and how the USG
was assisting the Egyptian government and civil society
groups on democratic reform. Osama Saraya, Editor-in-chief
of leading pro-government daily Al-Ahram and a well-known
reformer in the region attended and spoke, as did Nabil
Zaki, the editor of opposition, Nasserite newspaper Al-
Ahali. Hafez Abou Seda, the Secretary-General of the
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, also spoke at the
event.
5. Participation and media coverage: Attendance numbered
between 50 and 75 guests for each iftar seminar. Among the
attendees were university professors, business leaders, and
journalists. Egyptian TV Channel One, Nile TV News, Al-
Sharq Al-Awsat Radio, and dozens of reporters from the
Egyptian and pan-Arab print press covered all the three
iftar seminars. Daily newspaper Al-Ahram (circulation:
750,000) gave extensive coverage to all three iftar
seminars.
RICCIARDONE