One of the most unexpected features of the ongoing revolution in Egypt, a/k/a "the January 25th Youth Movement," is its leadership, or more precisely, its apparent lack of leadership. Accordingly, some have dubbed it the "Facebook" or "Twitter" or more generically, the "Social Media" revolution. In my view, however, this is not so much a leaderless revolution as it is one with a diffuse leadership. Certainly, social media and other internet tools of communication enabled this revolution to organize and to reach critical mass. This structure has not been able, thus far, to transform itself into a formal political interest group capable of managing the transition to a new regime. As a result, older, more established political groups in Egypt have been given responsibility to negotiate with the regime. But, what are the political demands of the January 25th Youth Movement? I was able to find a communique dated February 4 on YouTube in the name of this movement setting forth its political demands. While I have no way of confirming its accuracy, it has the air of authenticity and is certainly an articulate formulation of what the demands of the movement are, especially in light of what other media has reported. I have set out a translation of this communication below:
Translation of the Communique of the January 25th Youth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4PnKJGJz1k&feature=youtube_gdata_player
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Communique of the January 25th Youth
Egypt’s youth went out on the 25th of January with a strength, courage, boldness and heroism that had been unprecedented for the people of Egypt and completely unexpected;
So that there would be no difference between the graduates of professional schools and those with lesser degrees;
To confront the unemployment that has destroyed the lives of Egyptian youth;
So that 472 youth no longer drown weekly in the Mediterranean Sea, their only crime that they seek work and food to lessen the burden their families bear;
We came out to protest the lines for [even] propane bottles and bread;
We came out to demand an education that allows us to compete among the nations of the world, not an education that allows the world to mock us;
We came out for the sake of the 52% of our people that are illiterate;
We came out for the sake of national goals that unite all of us and would allow us to dispense with idling our time in cafes;
We came out for the sake our country’s wealth and resources which are sold in international markets at the lowest of prices;
We came out against sixty-years of policies built on the strangling of dreams in their cradles and the destruction of hopes, [the rulers] taking their inspiration from the latest fashions in war and torture;
Policies that made the poor slaves and the rich masters;
Policies that render the Egyptian a symbol for degradation and the lack of human dignity; and,
Policies that made Egyptians like cattle, with no goals other than to satiate their stomachs, but in fact they have been made worse than cattle.
The government responded to us by closing all means of expression and communication, so we came out again on Jan. 28 to bring an end to the age of dictatorship and we succeeded in changing the way the world looked at Egyptians.
We hold firm in our protest, and we have taken a sacred oath that this unjust tyrant shall become a symbol for all those who take heed, and how did the tyrant respond?
He terrorized his people; he released criminals from jails; he withdrew the police from all the streets of Egypt with the goal of spreading chaos and fear among the people;
But, this did not satisfy him, in his arrogance and he also adopted a policy of besieging and starving the people, as though the people of Egypt are his prisoners.
So, he prohibited gas tankers from delivering fuel so in turn food could not be delivered to the people.
Right now, we are living in Freedom Square the most noble and pure moments of our lives. It is impossible to describe the extent of solidarity and fraternity that we live daily. Class differences have disappeared and the sectarian strife that has come to threaten the well-being of all Egyptians is non-existent.
At the time of every prayer, Muslims, male and female, make their lines for prayer, while our Christian comrades, including priests, make cordons around us to protect us.
All the social classes of the people are here joined together, despite their educational, cultural and religious differences, united by their rejection of oppression and the oppressor.
Every morning, a group of youth, males and females, removes litter from Freedom Square, and clean Freedom Square.
Another group maintains security, guarding all the entrances and establishing security checkpoints to prevent any government mercenaries from infiltrating.
After all this struggle, the “respected” tyrant emerged and gave a ridiculous speech, announcing the dismissal of ministers who lack any importance or independence, who do nothing but carry out the commands of their master.
Because we are not members of any political party, nor do we bend to the policies of any foreign power or private interests, he has begun to scheme to divide us, asking us to form a committee to negotiate with him regarding the demands of the youth. Accordingly, we have unified our ranks, and summarized our demands in what follows:
Dismissal of the General, Muhammad Husni Mubarak, from the presidency, and the appointment of the General, ‘Umar Sulayman, as president of a transitional government, with a term of no more than six-months, on condition that he agree not to run for the presidency except after the completion of a full intervening presidential term.
Formation of a committee of experts to remove repressive provisions from the constitution and to draft a new constitution for the country, one that guarantees dignity, freedom and social justice; that provides expressly for the separation of powers, and judicial and international supervision of elections.
Dissolution of both chambers of the Parliament, the People’s Assembly and the Consultative Assembly, and the conducting of free and fair parliamentary elections so that the constitution can be debated by lawful representatives who truly represent the people.
The immediate and permanent abolition of the Emergency Law.
An election law based on the principle of proportional representation so that Egypt can truly become a state of institutions and multiple parties.
We believe that our demands are clear and limited. And because most Egyptians are ignorant of the constitution’s provisions, it was announced that paragraphs 77 and 78 would be amended. Paragraph 77 provided that a presidential candidate must belong to a political party which has at least one member in the People’s Assembly, but because the National Democratic Party won 99% of the seats in the People’s Assembly, it was inevitable that this provision had to be amended so that other candidates could run. [So too, paragraph 78, which put limits on the number of candidates].
As of yet, we have not concluded discussion of the need for judicial and international supervision of elections so that they do not result in a cascade of forgery with the result that only those candidates the regime wishes are elected; [such supervision being necessary] to prevent Egypt from being passed on by inheritance in front of the eyes and ears of the world.
But, “Honorable” President, on account of the history of your shrewdness, cunning schemes and dictatorship, you have raised a generation that is well-versed in your tricks, and knows well how to interact with you.
I plead to you, oh people of Egypt: do not believe a liar who has been addicted to lying for 30 years; pray God to support us and pray that God might guide the President.
I swear to you that your freedom and dignity are just over the horizon and within grasp of our hands. Do not abandon us and we will not abandon the victory we have achieved thus far. We know well that many individuals of our people have suffered privations, personal, psychological and material, as a consequence of this Glorious Revolution, but remember that which is attained easily is lost easily. We thank God that all of us have paid the price together, so that none of us will easily give up his freedom in the future.
We swear to you that we wish to dissolve our protest [in Freedom Square] today before tomorrow, but we must first receives guarantees of our personal security through the immediate cancelation of the Emergency Law; the introduction of constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedom of expression and opinion; a commitment by the government not to harm any of us, whoever he or she may be, and a statement that we are under the protection of the army and the military establishment. And that all our demands will become effective.
May God protect Egypt and its noble people. For God and country.
The January 25th Youth.
