Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday ordered a revision of the country’s election laws and said multiple candidates could run in the nation’s presidential elections, a scenario Mubarak hasn’t f…

The leader of Ghad is in jail.

Mubarak is a thug. This “election” will be as much of a sham as previous plebicites in Egypt.

I pretty much said as much (note what I said about short v. medium/long term effects(. However, as one who studies democratic transitions, I thik that this is an important concession for Mubarak and while it will stengthen him, it does have the potential of weakening the long-term grip of authortarianism in Egypt. Authoritarian states which have to make such concessions are making an admission that the status quo isn’t fully working for them. Once change is introduced in a static system its effects are unpredictable and almos t always damage the status quo ante.

That it will lead to liberal democracy is a flight of fancy at this point, but that it will lead to soe sort of liberalization is quite possible.