President Bush: Free and Fair Elections in Egypt Require Open Registration of Voters

TO: President Bush

We the undersigned, fully supporting the ideals of democracy, liberty and freedom for all, respectfully request that you ask President Mubarak of Egypt to reopen the registration for the Presidential Election, so that it is fair and free.

As you stated in your speech to the National Defense University on March 8, 2005, "Egypt has now -- has now the prospect of competitive, multi-party elections for President in September. Like all free elections, these require freedom of assembly, multiple candidates, free access by those candidates to the media, and the right to form political parties."

President Bush, we request that you ask President Mubarak to reopen the registration for the Presidential Election in September. As you may know, the registration period for this election closed several months ago. The government should change the closed registration system, which has been criticized by human rights groups. According to the constitution of Egypt, the interior minister has the power to reopen registration without changing the law. Minister Shabayek has said that those wishing to register can do so only in the three months allotted later this year after the September election. This is not fair to many people who have not yet registered.
Thank you.