Egyptian voters will choose their next president Wednesday from among 10 candidates running in that country's first-ever multicandidate presidential election. There are no candidates powerful enough to challenge incumbent President Hosni Mubarak, however, and it seems certain he will win a fifth term. Some opposition parties have announced that they will boycott the election, claiming that its fairness cannot be guaranteed under present circumstances.
In line with a trend toward democratization in the Middle East, Mr. Mubarak has been advocating the promotion of political and economic reform. But opposition parties and civil groups are charging that he is advocating reform merely for appearance's sake. If Mr. Mubarak -- who has maintained a firm grip on power for almost a quarter of a century -- really wants to be viewed as a reformist political leader, then he must set off on a path away from authoritarian politics. The presidential election will be a test of whether his appeals for reform and democratization are genuine.
In a national referendum held in May, a constitutional amendment was approved that changed Egypt's electoral system from a conventional formula of voting yes or no for one candidate to a multicandidate system. Pressure from the United States, which has been calling for more democracy, and the demands of Egypt's opposition forces helped persuade the Egyptian government to give way on this point.