31 May 2012 | Egypt, Middle East and North Africa
Egyptians reacted in shock and despair after official results of the first round of Egypt’s first multi-candidate presidential elections were announced on Monday afternoon on Egyptian State TV’s main Arabic news channel. Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate and Ahmed Shafik, a former air force commander and Mubarak’s last prime minister will face each other in the run-off poll (scheduled for 16 and 17 of June) after leading in the first round, Farouk Sultan, Head of the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission told journalists at a televised press conference on Monday.
Morsi won 5.76 million votes with Shafik following closely behind with 5.5 million votes out of a total of 23.3 million valid votes, Sultan said. Playing down voting irregularities, Sultan insisted these were minor and did not affect the overall results of the poll.
The outcome of the first round of voting provoked a new wave of angry condemnation from analysts and ordinary Egyptians alike. Author Alaa Aswany, an outspoken critic of the military junta tweeted urging Egyptians to boycott the elections en masse. He argued that the second round of the vote was certain to be rigged .
”Foul!” shouted a group of men watching the news conference at a roadside café in the working class district of Boulak.
The run-off pitting Shafik, a “Mubarak regime remnant” against a “colourless” member of the Muslim Brotherhood has been described by many Egyptians as a “nightmare scenario”. The election has polarised the country, with one camp wary of Islamist rule and another concerned about the continuation of the military dictatorship.
“If either of the two candidates becomes president, it would spell the demise of our revolution,” lamented Omar Ahmed, a young activist in a Facebook post.
The reaction to preliminary results of the poll has veered between sarcastic humour and outright indignation. Scores of internet users used social media networks Facebook and Twitter to call for fresh marches to protest the “illegitimacy” of the vote.
“It is no longer a choice between Shafik and Morsi. The choice is now between Canada and Australia,” is a joke widely shared on Facebook. This kind of humour reflects the disillusionment of a public growing increasingly weary of political and economic turmoil in the country. Meanwhile, scores of Egyptians used Facebook and Twitter to call for fresh marches to protest “the illegitimacy of the vote”.
Fifteen months after the mass uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, many Egyptians feel their revolution has been hijacked by both Islamists and the military generals overseeing the transitional period. The Muslim Brotherhood, which had joined ranks with the young revolutionaries in Tahrir Square demanding “Bread, freedom and social justice” during the 18-day mass uprising has since been accused of pursuing its own interests. Some activists say they have lost trust in the Islamist group after it aligned itself with the military authority to secure seats in parliament. They also accuse the group of reneging on earlier promises not to field a candidate for the Presidency. The Muslim Brotherhood and the ultra-conservative Salafis together won nearly three-quarters of the 508 seats in parliament in last year’s legislative elections.
Claims by the Justice and Freedom Party contender Mohamed Morsi — now the frontrunner in the race — that he represents the revolution have been rebuffed by thousands of protesters who flocked to Tahrir Square on Monday night chanting “No to Shafik ! No to Badie!” (the latter being the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood). Many Egyptians wonder if the loyalty of an Islamist president would lie with the religious movement rather than with the country.
But revolutionary youth leaders who spearheaded the 25 January uprising are now rethinking their position and say they are contemplating throwing their weight behind Morsi. They argue that “Shafik has the blood of the revolution martyrs on his hands.” The change of heart came after complaints about vote rigging filed by their favoured candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi — a die-hard Nasserist — were rejected by the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission and Sabbahi was declared officially out of the race. The revolutionaries had hoped a probe into Sabbahi’s complaints would tip the scale in his favor at the last minute, allowing him to compete in the run-off. Sabbahi, whose popularity has surged in recent weeks, came in a close third , garnering 4.82 million votes in the first round.
Wael Ghonim, administrator of the “We Are All Khaled Said” Facebook page that was a catalyst for the 25 January Revolution, has said he will support Morsi in the second round if he agrees to form a national salvation government representative of all factions of Egyptian society, including liberals and Copts. Youth leaders from the 6 April movement have also been in consultations with Morsi about the way forward, a sign that the group will support him and not Shafik.
Shafik has been trying to court the young revolutionaries, pledging to “bring the fruits of the revolution” between their hands. He warned the pro-democracy activists that their “revolution was being hijacked by the Islamists who mean to exploit it for their own ends”. His claims however appear to be falling on deaf ears and have provoked the ire of the revolutionary youths. His supporters are mostly those yearning for stability and have faith that only he can put the faltering economy back on track.
But the Tahrir protest — as well as demonstrations in other major cities across the country — reflect the heightened tensions and the growing frustration felt by millions of Egyptians who say they have to choose between two evils and that “neither candidate represents the spirit of their revolution.”
“It’s like having to choose between death by the sword or by hanging. In both cases we die” said 28-year-old Magued Mounir, a protester in Tahrir Square.
“If Shafik is president, then it’s back to square one…as if the revolution never happened. He is an extension of the old autocratic regime. And voting in an Islamist President would mean giving up our dream of a secular, modern Egypt,” said Yasmine Roshdy, another activist who was chanting against both candidates.
“We are trapped between a rock and a hard place,” said another protester who added that he had voted for Sabbahi in the first round.
In a repeat scenario of earlier protests, unidentified attackers stormed the square at midnight Monday attempting to break up the demonstration. A few hours earlier, Shafik’s Cairo campaign headquarters in Dokki was ransacked and set ablaze. Many Egyptians fear that the violence may be the start of worse unrest to come.
Journalist Shahira Amin resigned from her post as deputy head of state-run Nile TV in February 2011. Read why she resigned from the “propaganda machine” here.
25 May 2012 | Egypt
Fifteen months after Hosni Mubarak ’s ouster, this week Egyptians headed to the ballot box to choose a new President in the country’s first multi-candidate Presidential election. Unlike previous polls when election results had invariably been foregone conclusions, the outcome of this historic vote is uncertain with analysts and voters unable to speculate who the likely winner may be. Braving soaring temperatures, voters lined up in orderly queues at polling stations across the country on Wednesday 23 May (the first day of the vote) displaying passion and a rare patience to put up with the bureaucracy and the long wait.
“I’ve been waiting three hours in line but will wait no matter how long it takes,” said 32 year- old housewife Walaa Dweedar, one of the scores of women waiting outside the Thanaweya Girls School in the upper class residential neighborhood of Maadi. “We’ve never had a chance to freely choose our President. In the past, the authorities had always fixed the results beforehand.”
She said she planned to vote for Hamdeen Sabahi, the left leaning social activist who’s fast becoming the “revolutionary” choice of many voters seeking change. Sabahi’s popularity has surged recently thanks to his campaign promise to bridge the vast gap between the country’s rich and poor.
Standing behind Walaa in the lengthy all-women queue was 33-year-old Injy Hamdy, another housewife who eagerly told Index she was keen to vote “to diminish the chances of an Islamist contender”.
Security and stability are high priority demands for many voters worn out after months of chaos, street violence and a surge in crime rates .
Standing a few meters away was a woman in a full face veil who introduced herself as “Om Ahmed”. Her choice was vastly different from that of the other two women who were both younger and were clad in Western-style jeans and T-shirts. She said she would vote for Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential nominee.
“I want a President who is honest and who is worthy of our trust. Morsi will implement Islamic Sharia law” she explained.
Morsi is the more conservative of two Islamist Presidential hopefuls taking part in the race. He was nominated by the Muslim Brotherhood after the group’s original nominee Khairat el Shatter was disqualified from the race by the National Electoral Commission because of his “criminal record.” Morsi’s last minute nomination has earned him the nickname of “the back-up” or “spare candidate”.
Addressing Cairo University students in a recent election campaign speech he stated that “ the Koran is our constitution, Jihad is our path and death in the name of Allah is our goal.”
Mohamed Yehia, a 21 year-old graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture at Cairo University paraded back and forth between the gender segregated lines carrying a placard that read “Martyrs of the Revolution , we shall not forget your sacrifices”. Another young man raised a poster depicting some of those killed by security forces during the January 2011 mass uprising. Yehia said he and his friend were hoping to remind voters that it was because of the spilt blood and the sacrifices made by the brave young people who confronted Mubarak’s brutal security forces, that Egyptians were now able to freely choose their President. Yehia said he would vote for Abdel Moneim Aboul Fottouh who has been described as a “liberal Islamist”. One of the front runners in the election, Aboul Fottouh’s moderate policies have earned him the support of liberals, ultra-conservative Salafis and Egyptians of starkly different ideologies .
In the populous low income district of Boulak where voter turnout was low, there was clear rejection of the Islamist candidates owing to what one voter described as “their broken promises.”
“There has been little change since they came to parliament. They’ve been concentrating on trivial issues and have not dealt with the important issues like security and the economy,” complained Nasser el Leithy, a trader in a workshop selling car parts .
“The revolution had no leader and so we have been left with the old regime remnants or felool and the Islamists. I’m voting for Ahmed Shafeek…better the devil you know,” he said shrugging his shoulders.
A former Air Force commander, Shafeek is one of the Presidential candidates and a former Prime Minister under Mubarak .
“The country has stalled since the revolution. All we want is for things to starting moving again so that we can get on with our lives. And we don’t care who gets it moving. All we want is to be able to feed our children,” said Tamer Yehia, a mechanic.
Hence the strong showing by former regime figures who are seen by many in this deprived neighborhood as officials with experience in government. But not everyone sees Shafeek as a force for stability as was evident when some protesters threw stones and shoes at the presidential candidate minutes after he cast his ballot, taking aim at him for “being a felool” an expression used by Egyptians to describe those who served under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak.
“Down with military rule! Down with the old regime,” they chanted. “The blood of the martyrs is on your hands.”
With election results expected on the 29 May and a second round anticipated in mid June the country is polarised and skeptics doubt that the appointment of a new President will bring stability anytime soon. They worry that the choice of the new President may in fact deepen the divisions between the secularists and the Islamists and further fuel the already heightened tensions.
18 May 2012 | Egypt
A “farewell note” from prominent Egyptian journalist and popular talk show host Yosri Fouda, posted on his Facebook wall and published in Al Badeel independent newspaper on Thursday, sent shockwaves across a country bracing itself for its first multi-candidate presidential election in less than a week’s time.
In his post written in Arabic, Yosri announced that he would end his evening show “Last Words” in six weeks’ time. The show, broadcast live on weekdays on the private satellite channel ONTV (owned by business tycoon Naguib Sawiris), has earned the veteran journalist wide acclaim and a big following among a public that is thirsty for truth after decades of being kept in the dark.
In what he described as a “personal message to his devoted fans” Yosri stated that he had created the show in order to keep track of the fast-paced developments associated with the revolution and that he was proud to “have had the opportunity—together with my colleagues—to be part of the momentous events, as both an Egyptian patriot and a dedicated professional.”
Yosri reminded his fans that when he had taken on the challenge of presenting the show five days a week, he had declared his intention to quit once Egyptians elect a new president, (which had been expected before the end of last year) “but I felt obliged to continue when things got complicated.”
Yosri affirmed that the timing of his resignation was neither linked to his reading of the current political situation in Egypt nor to his judgement of the future of the revolution.
“I fervently believed then, as I do now, in the goals of the revolution just as I believe in the young people of Egypt who will overcome the challenges and not give in to despair. I am also convinced that my country is the most beautiful country in the world even though I cannot deny that it does have an ugly side,” he added.
The resignation drew an outpouring of disappointment and support for Yosri from thousands of fans on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter, with many of his young supporters urging the veteran talk show host to reconsider his resignation.
“A huge loss at a delicate time! Egypt is now — more than at any other time — in dire need of her honest sons,” read a Facebook post by Ahmed Maher, Egypt’s Ambassador to the Philippines.
“Don’t abandon us,” was a plea posted by another fan, Omneya Zordok, a Sociology Professor based in Zagazig, on Yosri’s Facebook page. “You are the voice of truth that they have for long tried to silence,” she added
“They” clearly refers to the military rulers who have continued the repressive tactics of the previous regime, intimidating and threatening outspoken journalists critical of the military government. After his unbiased coverage of violent protests in central Cairo late last year, scores of Mubarak supporters organised a protest in February outside the administrative headquarters of ONTV in Zamalek denouncing what they described as the news channel’s “policy of incitement against the military council.” The protesters chanted slogans against Yosri Fouda and his fellow anchor Reem Maged. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces had previously summoned Maged and two of her guests for questioning.
Meanwhile, co-hosting the first-ever Presidential debate in the Arab World telecast live on ONTV last week appears to have boosted the popularity of the star journalist, already recognised for his integrity and non- biased reporting.
Some fans drew similarities between Yosri’s decision to quit and an earlier decision by reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei to withdraw from the Presidential race. ElBaradei, who had been widely expected to participate in the upcoming election announced four months ago that he would not run for any office “in the absence of a genuine democratic system.”.
Aliaa El Badrawi, who coordinates the Year Abroad Students Program at the American University in Cairo, said: “I feel Yosri’s decision must have been based on complex issues which affected him negatively and which will also impact his audience in the same way — much like when ElBaradei was forced to pull out from the scene. I hope things turn out in such a way that he won’t have to leave with a heavy heart.”
Addressing Yosri himself, she stated: “you are very much appreciated for your ethics and integrity and you have certainly done a great deal at a critical time for Egypt.”
Many saw Yosri’s decision as a sign that he too had lost faith that any real democratic change would take place in Egypt.
“It’s a sign of hopelessness. He has lost hope that the revolution can bring about tangible change,” Sayed Tolba Allam, a translator at the Saudi Defence Ministry, wrote on Facebook.
Others suggested that Yosri may have been forced to tender his resignation through coercion or threats from the repressive military authorities.
“Yosri may be afraid that once Ahmed Shafeek [the Presidential hopeful supported by the military] becomes the next President as is expected — a series of “revenge assassinations” [of outspoken critics of the military] may follow,” was the scornful explanation offered by dentist Amr Moukhtar.
Several polls have indicated that Presidential hopeful Ahmed Shafeek, a former civil aviation minister under Mubarak, was among the three frontrunners in the presidential race. Widely detested by the revolutionaries, he has the support of the so-called “couch party”—a term used to refer to those yearning for stability but have opted to stay out of politics and were following the ongoing developments on television.
In March, Yosri’s name had appeared on a list of outspoken journalists, writers, politicians and activists to be referred to the Military Prosecutor for investigation on charges of “incitement to demolish the state” and for “driving a wedge between the people and the military rulers.” This, after a complaint signed by 700 civilians against 12 public figures (including two parliamentarians)was filed to the Prosecutor General. The move is a repeat of a Mubarak-era practice that allowed the state to crack down on voices of dissent without direct confrontation.
Although the reasons behind Yosri’s resignation are yet unclear, what is certain is that his decision has deepened the confusion and worry Egyptians feel in the run-up to the presidential vote. The de facto military leader Field Marshal Tantawy has reassured a sceptical public that the elections will be free and fair. But many have been left wondering what has driven Yosri to quit, and why he has decided to announce it now?
9 May 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Two Egyptian journalists were reportedly beaten while in military custody. Ahmed Ramadan and Islam Abu al-Ezz, of the online independent daily Al-Badil, said unidentified thugs beat them with swords while covering clashes in Cairo’s Abbasiya neighbourhood on 4 May. Shortly after the attack, the journalists were arrested and their belongings confiscated. They said they were beaten with sticks and kicked repeatedly while being held in the military prosecutor’s office.
