Mel and I had a good laugh over a post she had written the other day at Balanced News Blog, about the 77-year old Egyptian President Mubarak running for a 6th 5-year term. Only under pressure has he relented and allowed multi-candidate elections, a “sign” of the beginnings of democracy perhaps? Or, perhaps not…

Because today, I posted another article there, about the arrest of the leaders of the Opposition Party (Kefaya, meaning “enough”), albeit briefly. The US has been pressuring Egypt for more political reform and democratization (and indeed, Condoleeza Rice just cancelled a trip to Egypt), and within the civil society there, there has been growing calls for multi-candidate elections. During this protest over Mubarak running for his 6th term, an AP reporter saw the police beat and kick protesters, and manhandle journalists. “Greater democracy” as Mubarak’s party professes to want, might start with freedom of speech and a free press…