Could It Be -- Working?

This CNN.com report and others throughout the media raise a question:

"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections in September, making a surprise reversal Saturday that could mean he will face a challenger for the first time since taking power in 1981.

"It was the first significant move toward political reform in decades in Egypt, a powerhouse in the Arab world that has had one-party rule for more than half a century.

"The announcement came amid increasing calls for political reform from the domestic opposition and from the United States and after historic Iraqi and Palestinian elections that brought a taste of democracy to the region."

Let's see:

• The Afghan Presidential election.


• The Iraqi election, with huge turnout followed by parliamentary bickering of a familiar, democratic sort.


• The Palestinian balloting, with a real opposition, a consensus outcome, followed by parliamentary-style infighting about the cabinet, in which the reformers won a partial victory.


• The Lebanese outpouring against Syrian occupation after Rafiq Hariri's murder, and Syrian indications it may relocate its troops or withdraw.


• Elections of a sort in Saudi Arabia.


• Now Mubarak announces a real presidential election rather than an up-down vote on a hand-picked candidate.

Not a Prague Spring, a Berlin wall, or 1848, perhaps, but interesting nevertheless. Of course, it has nothing to do with US policy. All the credit goes to Jacques Chirac and Kofi Annan.