SUBSTANCE FOLLOWS FORM:

Egypt votes on election changes (BBC, 5/25/05)

Egyptians are voting on possible changes to the constitution that would allow presidential elections to be contested for the first time.

President Hosni Mubarak says the plan is an important step towards democracy.

Observers say it is too early to judge whether voters have heeded opposition calls for a boycott on the grounds that the changes are meaningless.

Critics say the plan is so limited it will be almost impossible to challenge candidates from the governing party. [...]

But BBC correspondent Heba Saleh says the government's main problem is likely to be voter apathy, after decades of authoritarian rule.

Establishing the principle of participatory democracy is half the battle.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 25, 2005 8:16 AM