Election: Debate, Not Choice

A briefing paper on Egypt's upcoming elections by Human Rights Watch was realeased Friday. Quote:

The significance of this election isn’t the possibility of unseating Mubarak, but the fact that many Egyptians have boldly challenged his quarter-century of rule ... Their willingness to speak out has generated a serious public debate instead of just another presidential plebiscite.

Mubarak’s biggest challenge isn’t winning the election, but generating enough voter turnout to claim popular legitimacy ... It’s no coincidence that recent police violence against the government’s critics occurred when protestors urged the public to boycott the polls.

Amnesty says the New President Must Stop Torture. Also discussing the election campaign is a note from IRIN. Open Democracy has a lengthy write up on Egypt's youth- and Internet activists. Khaleej Times write that many activists are focusing on monitoring the election instead of urging people to vote.