US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8421

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