Democracy News

Thomas Carothers Cautions US About Engagement in Egypt’s Democratic Transition
February 28, 2011  
By: Chinyelu Odunze | Printer Friendly

In a Washington Post opinion editorial titled, “How to not promote democracy in Egypt,” Thomas Carothers warns that the United States (US) should be careful about its role in Egypt’s democratic transition. 

Since ousting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has been enduring a tumultuous democratic transition. Many in Washington believe that the US should help Egypt prepare for elections. As former ambassador Martin Indyk put it, the US government should “mobilize funding for the well-oiled American democracy promotion machinery that can help Egypt's youthful secular forces organize for the coming elections.”

One proposal that has been frequently heard in Washington is that the US should favor one side of the party spectrum while supporting the development of political parties. Carothers notes that this proposal is particularly troublesome because it precludes the US from being neutral. 

Carothers also addresses growing concerns about the role of the Muslim Brotherhood, since the organization has the potential to become the preeminent political party. House Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) has said that "engaging the Muslim Brotherhood must not be on the table."  In contrast, Representative Howard Berman (D-Calif.) contended that we should not tell Egyptians who can participate in their political life: "our job is to create an alternative" to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Despite the varying views of how the US should assist Egypt in its transition, Carothers insists that the US should either embrace all legally registered nonviolent parties, or stay away from political party support.  He warns, not only do “efforts at engineering electoral outcomes undercut our credibility, they also usually backfire against the very people we are trying to help.”  To illustrate his point, Carothers cites the futility of the efforts of US diplomats in Iraq to throw US backing of certain candidates or parties during the various elections since 2005.

In closing, Carothers stated that it is good the US government has ended its support for dictatorship in Egypt and is ready to support democratic development. Although the US’ Arab pro-autocratic record is well known, its stance on democracy is still developing.  Carothers asserts that if the US wants Egypt to transition to a democracy, then the US must first build its credibility by adhering to democratic principles like transparency and inclusion instead of favoritism and exclusion. 

To read Carothers’ full piece, please see:
The Washington Post - How Not to Promote Democracy in Egypt