Moderators: Elvis, DrVolin, Jeff
by 2012 Countdown » Sat Nov 26, 2011 1:26 pm
by AlicetheKurious » Sat Nov 26, 2011 1:48 pm
by semper occultus » Sat Nov 26, 2011 1:59 pm
JackRiddler wrote:Different issue, semper. Population is a concern everywhere but growth rates are not physics, people make the decisions, and demographic projections almost always turn out wrong. But not at all what I'm talking about.
I mean, when young people are the vast majority there is a chance that change can be unimaginably radical and fast.
by JackRiddler » Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:02 pm
World
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood holds anti-Semetic rally, draws thousands at Cairo’s top mosque vowing to ‘one day kill all the Jews’
Businessmen were urged to donate funds to help destroy Israel
BY Amanda Mikelberg
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, November 26 2011, 2:18 AM
Amr Nabil/AP
Amidst widespread protests for a new Egyptian government, anti-Semitism was ignited at the al Azhar mosque in Cairo, where a young girl holds an anti-Israel banner during a rally pledging Jihad against the nation.
A Muslim revival at Cairo’s most prominent mosque Friday that drew 5,000 worshippers reportedly turned into a hate-fueled rally, complete with repeated vows to “one day kill all the Jews.”
Led by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest and best-organized political party, the crowd that gathered at the al-Azhar Mosque chanted “Tel Aviv! Tel Aviv! Judgment Day has come!" according to Israeli website Ynetnews.com.
Palestinian guest speakers and spokesmen for the Muslim Brotherhood roused the crowd with speeches aiming to incite Jihad directed at Israel, specifically promoting a “battle against Jerusalem’s Judaization.”
The event coincided with the anniversary of the United Nation’s 1947 partition plan that called for the establishment of a Jewish state.
The rally underscored the refusal of the Muslim Brotherhood to align with the greater movement opposing Egypt's military government.
As Egyptians wrestle over political power, invigorated after the White House called for a “full transfer of power to a civilian government ... as soon as possible,” the Muslim Brotherhood instead concentrated on Israel’s territorial conflicts with Palestinians.
Speakers railed against “Zionest occupiers” and “treacherous Jews.” Islamist Dr. Ahmed al-Tayeb asserted that Jews all over the world are preventing Islamic and Egyptian unity.
“In order to build Egypt, we must be one. Politics is insufficient. Faith in Allah is the basis for everything,” al Tayeb told Ynetnews.com.
“The al-Aqsa Mosque is currently under an offensive by the Jews,” he said, adding that “we shall not allow the Zionists to Judaize” the holy land.
Businessmen in the crowd were urged to give funds to the cause and invest in land in Jerusalem to keep it out of the hands of Jewish purchasers.
Protesters were handed pamphlets and small, customized flags showing the Egyptian colors on one side a Palestinian flag on the other.
Elementary school teacher Ala al-Din, who attended the rally, said “all Egyptian Muslims are willing to embark on a Jihad for the sake of Palestine,” he told Ynetnews.com
“Why is the U.S. losing in Afghanistan? Because the other side is willing and wants to die. We have a different mentality than that of the Americans and Jews," he said.
by JackRiddler » Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:10 pm
http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.p ... ice,%20mob
2 female reporters allegedly beaten by Egypt police, mob
By Ashraf Sadek - The Egyptian Gazette
Saturday, November 26, 2011 02:45:34 PM
CAIRO - Two female journalists claimed that they were beaten and sexually harassed by policemen and thugs, while they were covering clashes at Tahrir Square on Wednesday night.
The two women, who carry American and French passports, said that they were beaten by unidentified policemen and thugs while doing their job in Tahrir.
Mona el-Tahawy, an Egyptian-born New York journalist, claimed that policemen had brutally beaten and sexually assaulted her in the Ministry of Interior headquarters, where she was detained after taking pictures of an anti-Government demonstration in Tahrir.
El-Tahawy told a private TV channel on Thursday night that she was taking pictures of clashes between police and protesters in Tahrir Square, when unidentified policemen attacked her and detained her for 12 hours.
“They hit me with their sticks on the arms and head,” El-Tahawy, 44, said.
“The policemen sexually assaulted me, groping my breasts and putting their hands between my legs," she said, adding that the incident occurred few hours after her arrival in Cairo on Wednesday for covering the anti-Army protests.
"Besides beating me, the dogs of (central security forces) subjected me to the worst sexual assault ever," she said on her Twitter account.
"About 5 or 6 surrounded me and grabbed my genital area. I lost count how many hands tried to get into my trousers," she said.
"My left arm and right hand are broken (according to X-rays)," she said, posting pictures of herself in casts.
“What I experienced is just the tip of the iceberg of the brutality Egyptians experience every day,” she said. “This is just the type of brutality that our revolution came about to fight.”
No Interior Ministry official was available to comment on el-Tahawy's report.
On the same day, France 3 TV reporter Caroline Sinz said she, too, was sexually assaulted while covering the anti-military protests with her cameraman in Tahir Square.
“We were assaulted by a crowd of thugs. I was beaten by a group of youngsters and adults who tore my clothes,” she said, adding that she was molested in a way that “would be considered rape.”
“Some people tried to help me, but failed. I was lynched. It lasted three-quarters of an hour before I was taken out,” she said.
The attacks are reminiscent of the sexual assault of CBS News reporter Lara Logan by a mob of men last February in Tahir Square.
Once back in the US, Logan said she was molested for more than 40 minutes by a group of 200 or 300 men.
On Tuesday, more than 200 Egyptian journalists held a peaceful rally in Cairo to protest incidents of police violence against their colleagues, while performing their professional duties in Tahrir Square over the past week.
The protesting journalists, who processed from the Press Syndicate in Cairo to the General Attorney's Office in July 26th Street, were demanding that the Government protect media people in the country.
They condemned the police attacks on media workers here, especially in Tahrir Square, where more than ten journalists have been seriously wounded by the riot police, and also in the coastal city of Alexandria.
They said that the Government is failing to protect them, while they are performing their duties.
"Violence against journalists is on the rise. But the Government has done nothing to devise an effective strategy for their protection," senior Syndicate member and Chairman of the Freedom Committee Mohamed Abdel-Qodous told The Gazette.
He asked the Government to take effective steps to protect his colleagues, as they are doing nothing wrong, only performing their duties.
He said that, since Saturday, about 10 journalists have been seriously wounded in Tahrir Square, where they are working in extremely tense conditions.
“We will not abandon our profession despite the dangers,” the journalists said.
"The journalists are protesting in solidarity with their colleagues, who have been beaten up by policemen during the clashes in Tahrir and Alexandria," Ms Abeer el-Saadi, a member of the Syndicate's Board, explained.
“They are continually exposed to violence and there is no guarantee that they can do their work of reporting and gathering information freely.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/no ... hood/print
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood's alliance with generals has put revolution in peril
The Islamist party's marriage of convenience with the army has driven a wedge through Egyptian society
Peter Beaumont
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 26 November 2011 16.32 EST
A child holds an Egyptian flag during a demonstration against the military junta at Tahrir Square in Cairo. Photograph: Esam Omran Al-Fetori/REUTERS
When the first army vehicles trundled along Cairo's Nile Corniche just after nightfall on 28 January – the first "Friday of Anger" – they were greeted by people as saviours from the brutality of Egypt's riot police. The days that followed, leading to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, saw a unity in Egypt that the country has struggled to maintain.
Small businessmen had shut up their shops in alliance with trade unionists from the Nile Delta, secularists and Muslim Brotherhood members. Coptic Christians stood with Muslims; Cairo's feared football "ultras" made common cause with human rights activists; and the middle classes united with the urban poor.
What has happened since Mubarak's downfall – and the behaviour of the army under the leadership of the supreme council of the armed forces and Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi – has in large measure defined the dangerous crisis unfolding on the eve of parliamentary elections being held tomorrow.
Despite the revolution being largely led by secular forces, the biggest beneficiary from the first round of elections is likely to be the Muslim Brotherhood, the best organised party, and other Islamist parties with support among Egypt's working classes.
It is for this reason that the Muslim Brotherhood has placed its bet on the generals' slow timetable of transition to civilian rule, a timetable that has slipped almost as every month has passed. This marriage of convenience between the party and the generals has driven a wedge through Egypt's revolution. The biggest losers have been the young, more secular-minded revolutionaries. Disappointed by the appearance of business as usual in Egypt's "deep state", they have struggled to organise into a political force with broad appeal.
The length of the crisis, and its impact on Egypt's shaky economy, has also persuaded groups who supported the initial revolution to throw their weight behind the generals in the hope of stability – support only shaken with the murderous assault by security forces on protesters camped in Tahrir Square.
As for the generals themselves, they have lurched from crisis to crisis haemorrhaging public support, trying and jailing civilian protesters and bloggers in military courts and completely failing to reform key institutions including the judiciary, police and media.
While the army has still been able to call on the use of violence against those opposing it, in other ways it appears ever weaker, able only to call on Kamal el-Ganzouri – a 78-year-old former ally of Mubarak – to be interim prime minister, after the cabinet resigned following the lethal crackdown on last week's protests. No other credible political figure would agree to do it.
Egypt's young revolution is in a very perilous place.
© 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Egy ... 32153.html
November 26, 2011
Egypt's Top Military Man Meets With Political Leaders
Edward Yeranian | Cairo
Photo: AP
A young Egyptian man holds a national flag while standing on a rooftop between Tahrir Square and the Interior Ministry in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 26, 2011.
Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, who head's Egypt's ruling military council, met with top political figures Mohamed ElBaradei, the opposition leader and former International Energy Agency head and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa Saturday, as tensions remain high in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Egyptian government TV reported that Field Marshall Tantawi met separately with Amr Moussa and former International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei Saturday, but there was little information about what was discussed.
The meetings came as several thousand mostly young protesters continued to demonstrate in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Protesters are calling for the dismissal of Kamal el-Ganzouri, who was chosen Friday to form a new interim government. He was once prime minister in the government of former President Hosni Mubarak.
Arab satellite channels reported that Mr. Ganzouri held discussions with various political leaders as he tried to form his new government. Al Arabiya TV, quoting the head of Egypt's security forces, said that Mr. Ganzouri plans to name a new interior minister in the wake of recent violence.
Earlier Saturday, a young man was killed when he was hit by a police vehicle. Several others were wounded after skirmishes with police on a side street near Tahrir Square. Protesters threw rocks and paving stones at security forces, who fired teargas to drive them back. Egyptian officials said the police vehicle incident was an accident.
The protesters had camped out overnight in front of the prime minister's office to try and prevent Mr. Ganzouri from entering the compound. The crowd chanted slogans calling on both the ruling military council and Mr. Ganzouri to resign.
Meanwhile, the head of Egypt's high electoral council told journalists that the first round of parliamentary elections scheduled for Monday would go ahead as planned.
Said Sadek, who teaches political sociology at the American University in Cairo, says the current atmosphere in the country will make the voting process difficult, at best:
"The atmosphere is very unfriendly for the voters. To have a legitimate election, you need to have enough security for the average voter not to feel threatened," Sadek said. "The confrontations that happened in the last few days looked like it was instigated by over-reaction by the interior ministry and the government."
In the streets of Cairo, opinion appeared to be divided over the feasibility of holding elections as scheduled. A middle-aged woman named Amal told VOA that the elections were likely to be the “most chaotic and flawed in the history of Egypt,” while a young man named Hossam insisted “it would be a mistake to postpone the vote.”
Find this article at:
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Egy ... 32153.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/world ... nted=print
November 26, 2011
Egypt Braces for Fresh Clashes After Protester’s Death
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
CAIRO — The killing of an unarmed demonstrator by security police threatened to stir up new protests here Saturday as Egypt’s military rulers and political parties raced to prepare for potential chaos surrounding the parliamentary elections scheduled to start on Monday.
An outpouring of anger over the incident, in which a protester was run over by a police truck, added to fears that continued protests and violence would undermine the integrity of the vote, the first since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak nine months ago.
The incident took place at the end of a week of mounting protests across the country against Egypt’s interim military rulers, accused of threatening the revolution that brought down Mr. Mubarak by claiming permanent political powers and autonomy above a civilian government. The death recalled the event that set off the recent uprising, when the heavy-handed eviction of a small protest camp in Tahrir Square galvanized public anger against the military’s power grab.
That eviction set off five days of clashes with security police that left more than 40 dead and 2,000 injured and drew hundreds of thousands back to the square in recreations of the two-week sit-in that ousted Mr. Mubarak in February. Other protests continued around the country on Friday night, including a demonstration by thousands in Alexandria, and on Saturday there were calls for major new demonstrations on Sunday or Monday.
Still scrambling to quiet the streets, Egypt’s military rulers met separately on Saturday with two prominent civilian leaders, the former diplomats Mohamed ElBaradei and Amr Moussa, the state news agency reported. What they discussed was not disclosed. Protesters in Tahrir Square have rallied around the idea that Mr. ElBaradei, who won a Noble Peace Prize as the director of the United Nations nuclear energy watchdog, could lead a new interim civilian government. Mr. Moussa, a former foreign minister and secretary general of the Arab League, is one of Egypt’s most popular politicians.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the popular Islamist group positioned to win a major role in the new Parliament, stepped up its own preparations for the possibility of mayhem around the elections. Its new Freedom and Justice Party said in a statement that it would form “protection committees of volunteers” to help secure polling places.
The party said the committees would document events in coordination with “civil society organizations and media institutions.” Nonetheless, the announcement added to fears that candidates and factions might send thugs to disrupt voting. Such clashes were routine during the rigged elections held under Mr. Mubarak.
The protester’s death on Saturday evoked a pattern of excessive force, half-apology and finger-pointing by the military-led government that has contributed to the escalating tension here. It took place early Saturday when six security police trucks arrived to change the night shift at the offices of the Egyptian cabinet. A few hundred demonstrators had been camped there since Friday night to protest the military council’s appointment of another prime minister.
Although it was widely reported here Friday that a contingent of demonstrators had moved to the cabinet building from the sit-in in Tahrir Square, the police in the trucks were surprised to see them, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Saturday. In the confusion, the police fired tear gas into the crowd and ran over one of the demonstrators, Ahmed Sayed El Soroor, 19, killing him.
The Interior Ministry expressed its regret for the death. But it also said the protesters were partly to blame because they had hurled rocks and gasoline bombs at the armed police cars. Military leaders issued a similar expression of regret after the deaths of two dozen Coptic Christians at a protest last month. But at a news conference to discuss the event, the generals argued that the Coptic protesters had started the violence and scared the troops, who then, in their efforts to flee, drove armored vehicles over civilians.
This week, the military issued another apology for the civilian deaths in the recent clashes near Tahrir Square. But, at the same time, they argued that the police were justified in using deadly force because the civilians were threatening the Interior Ministry.
By midday Saturday, outraged protesters were talking about carrying Mr. Sayed’s coffin to Tahrir Square for a public funeral.
His mother, Zeinab Ali Abdel Salam, told the state newspaper, Al Ahram, “I wish youth in Tahrir wouldn’t leave the square before their demands are met because I see Ahmed, my son, in all of them.”
Many protesters dismissed the military’s claims that the death was an accident. They vowed to stay in the square until the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces relinquished power. “We are not going to rest until the S.C.A.F. is judged for spilling the blood of our children,” said Wafaa Ahmed, 55, a housewife.
Mohamed Abid, 35, a travel agent, asked, “How many more people must die before the S.C.A.F. unclenches its grip on power?”
Mayy el Sheikh and Dina Salah Amer contributed reporting.
by DrVolin » Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:53 pm
by AlicetheKurious » Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:03 am
Although it was widely reported here Friday that a contingent of demonstrators had moved to the cabinet building from the sit-in in Tahrir Square, the police in the trucks were surprised to see them, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Saturday. In the confusion, the police fired tear gas into the crowd and ran over one of the demonstrators, Ahmed Sayed El Soroor, 19, killing him.
The Interior Ministry expressed its regret for the death. But it also said the protesters were partly to blame because they had hurled rocks and gasoline bombs at the armed police cars. Military leaders issued a similar expression of regret after the deaths of two dozen Coptic Christians at a protest last month. But at a news conference to discuss the event, the generals argued that the Coptic protesters had started the violence and scared the troops, who then, in their efforts to flee, drove armored vehicles over civilians.
This week, the military issued another apology for the civilian deaths in the recent clashes near Tahrir Square. But, at the same time, they argued that the police were justified in using deadly force because the civilians were threatening the Interior Ministry.
by AlicetheKurious » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:21 am
by JackRiddler » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:52 pm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/no ... ered/print
Egyptian elections: the key questions answered
There remains a great deal of uncertainty about the elections Egypt is supposed to be on the verge of. What do we know?
طالع المقال بالعربية
Jack Shenker in Cairo
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 22 November 2011 09.11 EST
What's happening?
The most populous nation in the Arab world is supposed to be heading to the polls to elect a new parliament, almost a year after a mass uprising toppled the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. If the vote does take place and is free and fair – and there are many doubts on both those fronts – Egypt's election will be one of the biggest exercises in democracy on the planet.
Why now?
Democratic elections were one of the first things Egypt's army generals promised when they took power following the downfall of Mubarak, though they have missed their original six-month deadline for holding the vote. The post-Mubarak "transition" period has proved to be a bitter-sweet experience for Egypt's revolutionaries; although Mubarak and several of his regime acolytes have gone on trial and the political landscape has been liberalised, the rule of the junta – known officially as the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (Scaf) – has in some ways been even more repressive than the government that preceded it.
That repression has been illuminated once again in the past few days, and with it has come confirmation that the revolution is very much ongoing. Across Egypt, protesters are now targeting Scaf as the key obstacle to genuine reform and the violence and chaos that has ensued is endangering the poll altogether. Scaf's critics say the vote will mean nothing if it is not accompanied by the withdrawal of the ruling generals from power; there is a talk of a new government of "national salvation" being formed to quell the crisis, and if that happens no one yet knows what its impact will be on the parliamentary ballot. Some liberal and leftist parties have already suspended campaigning.
Against that volatile backdrop, if the vote does go ahead both the political elite and grassroots activists will be hoping that the election of a new parliament will help settle things in their favour. Scaf hopes the poll will help subdue dissent and offer some stability, whilst critics of military rule want the new parliament to challenge Scaf's legitimacy and re-energise the movement for change.
How long will this parliament last?
Not very long. It's likely to be one of the shortest parliaments in Egyptian history. But it will also be one of the most important, as its primary task is to form a special constitutional assembly that will draw up a new constitution in 2012 and thus shape Egypt's political future for many years – maybe even decades – to come. Once a new constitution is approved in a national referendum, new elections will be held in 2013 for the presidency and, eventually, a fresh parliament as well. In the meantime Scaf will remain in executive power, a situation that deeply worries many observers who fear the army is trying to entrench its control over political life on a permanent basis.
How does it work?
Egypt is split up into 27 governorates, and the poll for its lower house of parliament – "the people's parliament" – will be staggered across three dates with nine governorates voting in each round. The first round is on 28 November and includes the major urban centres of Cairo and Alexandria. The second is on 14 December and will feature Giza (the area of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile), Suez and the important upper Egyptian cities of Aswan and Sohag. The final round will be on 3 January and includes the whole of the Sinai peninsula as well as Egypt's western desert and parts of the Nile delta.
Seven days after each round there will be a run-off election for constituencies where no individual candidate achieved 50% of the vote, and the final results will be announced by 13 January. After that the whole voting merry-go-round begins again for the upper house of parliament, which has a consultative role and is less important than the lower house. By the time it's over, the whole process will have taken four months.
Why is it such a drawn-out affair?
Ostensibly it's to help ensure that the elections are carried out fairly. Having rejected the offer of international election observers, the Egyptian government is relying on its own judges and civil society monitors to keep an eye on polling stations and ballot boxes and ensure no violations take place. There are a limited number of such trained individuals and it would be impossible for them to cover the whole country in a single day, hence the convoluted timetable.
But critics say these elections have been designed to be as unfathomable as possible, confusing potential voters and in effect disenfranchising them from the democratic process. Following fierce political wrangling over the exact nature of the poll, a hybrid system has been put in place with overlapping electoral districts of different sizes; each citizen will actually be voting for three representatives in two different constituencies – one on a party list, and then two more from a selection of individual candidates. Add to that a Nasser-era law stipulating that half the 508-strong parliament must consist of workers and farmers (a regulation that is widely abused in practice), and what remains is a fiendishly complex set of rules that is adding a great deal of uncertainty to an already volatile situation.
How many people have the vote, and is it the country's first free poll?
There are about 45 million eligible voters in Egypt, plus several million more abroad who have won an 11th-hour victory in their battle to be allowed to cast a ballot as well (which they will do via their local Egyptian embassy). This is not actually the first election held in post-Mubarak Egypt; there was a national referendum on a series of constitutional amendments in March 2011 that laid the groundwork for the current vote to take place. About 19 million Egyptians participated, with the overwhelming majority approving the amendments, but a much higher turnout is predicted for this time round.
Who are the main protagonists?
Since the fall of Mubarak and the end of half a century of what was in effect one-party rule, numerous new political forces have exploded on to the scene. Some are large and well-established, others command no more than a handful of supporters – and they have fallen in and out of various coalitions and alliances throughout the year, making the electoral landscape feel at times like Monty Python's People's Front of Judea.
However the key battle appears to be between the once outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, who have created their own Freedom and Justice party, and their secular rivals, the biggest of which is the Free Egyptians party which was founded by the Coptic telecoms billionaire Naguib Sawiris. Both parties have partnered with other groups to form rival coalitions: the Brotherhood's is called the Democratic Alliance and includes a number of more liberal forces in an effort not to scare off more secular voters, while the Free Egyptians party is heading up the Egyptian bloc, which is largely secular and includes some left-leaning outfits.
There are two other coalitions that could have an impact on results. One is the Islamist Alliance, which consists of conservative Salafi parties that have a stricter interpretation of Islamic law and will be hoping to pick up support from those left disillusioned by the Brotherhood's apparent drift towards the political centre. The other is the Revolution Continues alliance, which is leftist and includes many of the youth groups that helped lead the anti-Mubarak uprising in January 2011, as well as the Brotherhood's youth wing which has broken away from its parent organisation. The alliance will be hoping to capitalise on a strong desire for socio-economic justice following the corruption of the Mubarak years, but its members lack the funding and organisational muscle of their liberal and Islamist competition.
Finally there are a series of non-aligned parties, including al-Adl – which describes itself as a "non-ideological" movement trying to strike a "third way" between the Islamists and liberals, and al-Wafd, one of the country's oldest political parties but a movement somewhat tarnished by its participation in Mubarak's sham elections of the past. For a more detailed explanation of the parties and to see how they line up on the political spectrum, explore the Guardian's interactive graphic here.
Can Mubarak-era stooges and cronies run?
The answer to this is unclear. In mid-November, Egypt's supreme court overturned a lower court decision that could have barred the felool (meaning "remnants") of Mubarak's now-disbanded ruling NDP party from standing for office, ending weeks of debate over the issue and raising the prospect of significant figures from the old regime playing a major role in the construction of a new Egypt. Several Mubarak-era acolytes have formed rightwing political parties, including former NDP secretary general Hossam Badrawi, and their candidates are predicted to do especially well in areas where local powerbrokers have long been affiliated to the NDP and will not want to cede political control easily.
But in an effort to appease protesters in the midst of the recent violence, Scaf made a last-ditch promise to enact a "treachery law" that would trump the decisions of the courts and stop NDP members from running after all. The announcement was met with widespread scepticism, as the authorities have not said how they will implement the plan, which would presumably require the reprinting of millions of ballot papers.
What is everybody hoping for?
The Brotherhood will be deemed to have fallen well short of expectations if it does not emerge as the largest party, though it's doubtful it will get a majority – most analysts predict a 20-30% share of the seats. With no real precedent to turn to and with some polls indicating that half of voters are still undecided, it's impossible to guess at the final tallies, though it seems likely that the Islamist Alliance will put up a reasonably strong showing, as will the reformed NDP parties in certain areas.
That leaves a pretty narrow space left in which the liberals and leftists can duke it out, though many say that after decades of authoritarianism they are in it for the long game. This election itself may not offer much in the way of seats, but it's the first step on a long road of building up national recognition and competing with the well-established organisational might of the Brotherhood and the former NDP.
What does it all mean for Egypt's revolution?
Amr Hamzawy, a liberal parliamentary candidate and founder of a new party, said recently that in many ways it is not the final results that matter – rather, he claims, if the turnout is above 50% and the elections are genuinely free and fair, then the whole of Egypt can consider itself victorious. Certainly after decades of being told by their autocratic leaders (and the Mubarak regime's allies abroad) that they were not ready for democracy and chaos would ensue if they were offered it, ordinary Egyptians know that in many ways the symbolism of this poll matters more than its outcome. If all goes well, the spectacle of the Middle East's cultural pole star overthrowing a repressive government and queueing up to vote in a fairer alternative is one that will resonate throughout the Arab world and beyond, spooking autocrats and giving heart to pro-change movements everywhere.
But within that romanticism lurks a danger that Egypt's ongoing injustices and struggle for freedom will be overlooked, a state of affairs Scaf – which under the current "transition" timetable will remain in power regardless of the result, at least for another year – will be happy with. The human rights abuses and brutal crackdowns against dissidents that have characterised the junta's short but controversial reign underline the fact that although Mubarak is gone, the bulk of his regime remains. Those battling to resist it know that the elections are just another step in that fight, a fight that will continue long after the new parliament opens for business.
© 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
http://m.ctv.ca/topstories/20111127/egy ... 11127.html
Sun Nov 27, 09:49 AM
Egyptians warned of 'extremely grave' consequences
CTVNews.ca Staff
Egyptian women shout slogans against the country's ruling military council during a demonstration in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011. (AP / Bela Szandelszky)
With thousands of demonstrators in the streets and crucial parliamentary elections starting Monday, Egypt's military ruler warned of "extremely grave" consequences if the nation does not survive its current crisis.
In comments carried by Egypt's official news agency, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi claimed "foreign hands" were behind the latest wave of unrest, which has filled Cairo's Tahrir Square with protesters for more than a week.
Tantawi also flatly rejected calls for him to step down.
In a report from Tahrir Square, CTV's Middle East bureau chief Martin Seemungal said it has become clear that most of the demonstrators want the elections to proceed, even if they want their military rulers replaced in the meantime.
"These people are not against the elections," said one man. "This is our first chance to have value for our vote."
But one woman noted the mood has been changed by the violence and the crackdown by security forces.
"It's not the same now," she said. "I've lost faith in all the political parties."
During an interview with CTV News Channel, North African Journal deputy editor Alessandro Bruno said the unrest will escalate partly because of the complicated three-step parliamentary election process which takes three months with the results not released until the end.
"The real revolution could begin now," said Bruno, who pointed out that former president Hosni Mubarak was not ousted by the people but by the military.
At least 41 protesters have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded in the nine days of a revival of the protest movement that toppled Mubarak in February.
While the people in the square are calling for him to step aside, Tantawi said the military will surrender power at an appropriate time, likely after presidential elections next June.
"We will not allow troublemakers to meddle in the elections," said Tantawi, who was Mubarak's defence minister for 20 years. "Egypt is at a crossroads -- either we succeed politically, economically and socially or the consequences will be extremely grave and we will not allow that."
Dismissing criticism of the military rulers failing on security and economic fronts, he claimed the unrest was being fostered by outsiders.
"None of this would have happened if there were no foreign hands," he said. "We will not allow a small minority of people who don't understand to harm Egypt's stability," he said.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/wo ... 6207547934
Protesters' ultimatum for Nobel Laureate ElBaradei to be made head of transistional government
* by: John Lyons, Middle East correspondent
* From: The Australian
* November 28, 2011 12:00AM
EGYPT'S protest movement last night vowed to occupy Cairo's Tahrir Square until the country's military rulers stepped down in favour of a transitional government headed by democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei.
The Nobel Peace laureate had earlier offered to give up his run for the presidency if asked to lead an interim government.
Representatives of 24 youth groups organising the rally vowed in a statement posted on the internet last night that they would not leave the square until the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces transferred power to a "national salvation" government led by Mr ElBaradei.
As Egypt prepared to begin today its first democratic vote in 30 years, SCAF head Hussein Tantawi met separately with Mr ElBaradei and another presidential hopeful, Amr Moussa, a former head of the Arab League.
Field Marshal Tantawi asked Mr ElBaradei and Mr Mussa to support newly appointed prime minister Kamal al-Ganzouri.
The Muslim Brotherhood -- the most organised political force in Egypt -- called on the SCAF to allow it to form a new government if its Freedom and Justice Party emerges with the biggest bloc in today's legislative elections. The Brotherhood has stayed out of the latest protests.
Mr Ganzouri, whose appointment by the military on Friday touched off a wave of anger among protesters accusing the army of trying to perpetuate the old regime, held a series of meetings trying to sway youth groups to his side. State TV said Mr Ganzouri, who is unpopular in part because he served under deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak, offered cabinet positions and was pondering the formation of an advisory council to be composed of leading democracy advocates and presidential hopefuls.
Since Mr Ganzouri's appointment, the media has run constant images of him with Mr Mubarak, undercutting efforts by the SCAF to portray him as independent.
Mr Ganzouri, who fell out with Mr Mubarak in the final weeks of his presidency, has called on Egyptians to "give me a chance" and said the SCAF had given him more powers than previous prime ministers.
However, activists say the point of their protests is to stop the army making such appointments.
The 24 protest groups, including two political parties, said their "national salvation" government would be headed by Mr ElBaradei with deputies from across the political spectrum, to which they demanded the military hand over power.
Mr ElBaradei said in a statement that he would be willing to form such a government to manage the country's transition.
He said he was "ready to renounce the idea of being a candidate in the presidential election if officials asked me to form a cabinet". His office said he was prepared to be a "completely neutral" leader during the transition to democracy.
Mr ElBaradei's campaign is seen as faltering and opinion polls put him well behind Mr Moussa.
Mr ElBaradei's profile is higher outside Egypt than inside, due to his former role running the International Atomic Energy Agency. At least 42 people have died and more than 2000 have been injured since the new round of violence across Egypt broke out on November 19.
Mr Ganzouri was appointed after the entire cabinet resigned in protest last week at the brutality of the latest crackdown.
Since the outser of Mubarak in February, the economy has weakened significantly. The Egyptian stock exchange has lost half of its value this year.
Additional reporting: agencies
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by AlicetheKurious » Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:46 pm
JackRiddler wrote:Then there is the story that Tahrir is calling for Baradei to form a salvation government, and that he is willing?
...Are all of the parties going ahead with the elections? Is Revolution Continues for real, and how does it stand on the vote?
by JackRiddler » Sun Nov 27, 2011 8:18 pm
http://af.reuters.com/articlePrint?arti ... K220111127
FACTBOX-Political parties, groups in post-Mubarak Egypt
Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:50pm GMT
Nov 28 (Reuters) - Egypt starts voting on Monday in its first parliamentary election since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February, with more than 50 registered political parties.
Details on the most influential parties and groups follow:
* FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY
The Freedom and Justice Party was set up in April as the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned under Mubarak and has emerged as one of the most influential forces.
The party has not issued a detailed manifesto. Brotherhood leaders say the party is a civil group that has Islam as a "reference" point. They say the party seeks a constitution that respects Muslims and non-Muslims, will not impose Islamic law and is committed to a pluralistic and democratic Egypt. The party has members from Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.
* WAFD PARTY
The New Wafd Party was set up in 1978 after former President Anwar Sadat opened up politics following a period when parties were banned, but its roots go back to the 1920s. Wafd means "delegation" and refers to the team that negotiated with the British and issued a declaration of independence in 1922.
Wafd has traditionally been a bastion of liberal democrats in Egypt. Historically, it drew the support of business elites and Copts. It was one of the opposition parties licensed under Mubarak, although its critics said it was co-opted by the state.
It advocates a liberal economy with a strong public sector.
* AL-MASRYEEN AL-AHRAR (FREE EGYPTIANS)
The liberal party, co-founded by Christian telecoms tycoon Naguib Sawiris, has positioned itself as a challenger to Islamist groups. The party, whose leaders include Hani Sarie-Eldin, a former chairman of the Egyptian Capital Market Authority and central bank board member, advocates free market policies, the separation of state and religion, ending class inequalities and expanding the middle class.
The party said in August it had more than 100,000 members. They include prominent figures such as writer Mohamed Salmawy, poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, film director Khaled Youssef and Mahmoud Mehny, the former president of al-Azhar University.
* OFF-SHOOTS OF MUBARAK'S DISBANDED PARTY
Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) was disbanded by a court order but former party officials have set up at least six new parties, which have conducted a low-key campaign. Opponents have demanded that former NDP members be barred from the poll.
One of the most prominent is the Ittihad (Union) party set up by Hossam Badrawi, who was named secretary-general of the NDP in the final days of the anti-Mubarak uprising in a last attempt to quell protests. Badrawi, seen as a reformer opposed by the old guard, swiftly resigned saying Egypt needed new parties. His party calls for separating judicial, executive and legislative powers whose boundaries were blurred under Mubarak, free market policies and stronger regulations to ensure social justice.
The NDP secured sweeping election victories under Mubarak through ballot stuffing, intimidation and other abuses. Some of its members still command influence through broad business or regional political links.
Other parties led by former NDP officials include Masr al-Tanmiya (Egypt Development), the Renaissance Party, the Egyptian National Party, Masr al-Haditha (Modern Egypt) party, and al-Mawatan al-Masri (Egyptian Citizen) party.
* TAGAMMU PARTY
The Tagammu party was established in 1976 by leftists who included Khaled Moheiddin, one of the officers who joined Gamal Abdel Nasser in the military coup that toppled the king in 1952.
It drew in Nasserists, Marxists and Arab nationalists. It once had strong support from the working class, professional unions, universities and intellectuals, but its influence waned as critics accused it of selling out to Mubarak's government.
Tagammu was the first group to withdraw from dialogue with Vice-President Omar Suleiman during the anti-Mubarak uprising. It has since become an outspoken critic of the Brotherhood.
* EGYPTIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY
One of the first parties set up after the uprising, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party says it backs a market economy committed to social justice, ending monopolies, generating jobs and improving education and scientific research.
Founding members include Finance Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, activists Mohamed Abou El-Ghar and Farid Zahran, film-maker Daoud Abdel Sayed and former U.N. diplomat Mervat Tallawy.
* DEMOCRATIC FRONT PARTY
The party was founded in 2007 to promote liberal and secular values by Osama Ghazali Harb, an intellectual and former NDP member, and Yehia al-Gamal, who was briefly deputy prime minister after the uprising. It is now headed by Al-Saeed Kamel after an internal election in August.
* GHAD (TOMORROW) PARTY
Al-Ghad was established in 2004 by Ayman Nour, a lawyer who split from Wafd after a row with its leader. Within months, the party was embroiled in a legal dispute when Nour was prosecuted for allegedly forging membership names.
Nour ran against Mubarak in 2005 when Egypt held its first and only multi-candidate presidential election under Mubarak. He came a distant second and was later jailed for forging documents, charges he said were politically motivated.
* AL-ADL (JUSTICE PARTY)
The centrist party was set up by youth activists and members of the National Association for Change, which played a key role in mobilising protests before and during the uprising. It advocates a civil state and a free-market economy, focusing its programme on sustainable development, building state institutions and encouraging investment in the public sector.
Supporters say it has avoided centralised decision-making and has used small youth cells for grassroots projects.
* WASAT (CENTRE) PARTY
The moderate Islamist party spent 15 years seeking a licence under Mubarak and got approval just over a week after he was overthrown. Wasat was set up by former Brotherhood members, who say they want to fuse respect for Islamic society with democracy.
* AL-NOUR (LIGHT) PARTY
The first party set up by Salafists, who follow a strict interpretation of Islam, wants Egypt to follow Islamic sharia law and advocates freedom of expression, an independent judiciary and stronger local government. It also calls for job creation through small and medium-sized firms.
The party calls for banks and lenders to use Islamic financing that avoids charging interest it views as usury, although it says any transition should take place gradually.
* REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY
The Reform and Development Party broke away from the Democratic Front Party in 2009 but was not allowed to register until May 2011. It was launched by Anwar Esmat al-Sadat, a nephew of former President Anwar Sadat. After his party was rejected in 2010, he lobbied for a complete overhaul of the licensing committee to prevent it from acting as an arm of the NDP. That committee was changed after the uprising. The party merged with the "Our Egypt" party led by Ramy Lakah in June.
* BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY
The Building and Development party is the political arm of Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, which has renounced violence after a militant past. It was founded by Tarek al-Zumar, who took part in Sadat's assassination and was released from three decades of jail after the uprising.
* MASR AL-HORREYA (EGYPT FREEDOM)
The party was founded by youth groups and academics, including academic and activist Amr Hamzawy. It endorses liberal market policies that are committed to social justice.
OTHER MAJOR MOVEMENTS AND ELECTION ALLIANCES
* DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE
The Democratic Alliance began as a coalition of 34 Islamist and other parties and was the first bloc formed after the uprising but it has shrunk to three main parties.
All Islamist parties, other than the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, have left the bloc. It now includes al-Karama party, al-Ghad and some other small and almost unknown groups. Its members are planning to contest all seats in the election.
FJP candidates account for 70 percent of the alliance's list and 90 percent of those running for the independent seats.
* AL-KUTLA AL-MASRIYA (THE EGYPT BLOC)
The bloc includes mostly liberal and leftist parties, including al-Masryeen al-Ahrar, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and Tagammu. It has said it will have 233 candidates competing in 46 constituencies.
* AL-THAWRA MOSTMARA ALLIANCE (THE REVOLUTION CONTINUES)
The bloc is the most significant new player in the race. It has become the alliance of choice for many youth candidates. The bloc includes the Egypt Freedom Party, the Egyptian Current Party, founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood's youth wing, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, and the Revolution Youth Coalition. It is fielding 300 candidates in 33 districts.
* KEFAYA (ENOUGH)
Trade union leader George Ishak founded the Kefaya movement in 2004, galvanising protests against Mubarak's rule in 2005 and opposing what many saw as plans to pass power to his son, Gamal. The movement seemed to have lost its momentum but played a crucial role in mobilising protesters when the uprising erupted.
* NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHANGE
The National Association for Change is a broad opposition coalition pushing for pro-democracy, constitutional reforms that was founded by ElBaradei and his supporters in 2010. The group was active in the build-up to the uprising.
* APRIL 6 YOUTH MOVEMENT
One of Egypt's most important youth organisations, it started in the spring of 2008 on Facebook to support workers protesting in the Delta industrial city of Mahalla el-Kubra. April 6 maintained the momentum of anti-government protests until the uprising, using online networking sites.
In 2009, the group said it had 70,000 members, most of whom are well-educated and politically unaffiliated. Its Facebook page now boasts almost 300,000 members. It is not a political party but regularly mobilises protests demanding faster reform.
* REVOLUTION YOUTH COALITION
Egypt's Revolution Youth Coalition, formed in the early days of the uprising, is made up of activists from across the political spectrum. It plays a pivotal role in organising protests and has an active social networking profile.
Sources: Reuters; Carnegie Endowment; party websites and officials; April 6; Egypt's State Information Service; Egyptian Information Portal (Reporting by Dina Zayed in Cairo; Editing by Edmund Blair and Andrew Heavens)
© Thomson Reuters 2011.
by JackRiddler » Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:31 pm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/w ... 273047.htm
Gas pipeline bombed in Egypt's Arish
English.news.cn 2011-11-28 08:01:07
CAIRO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Armed men bombed a natural gas pipeline in Egypt's Arish late Sunday night, a local security source told Xinhua.
The bombed pipeline was about 20 km west of Arish, capital of North Sinai, a hub of Egypt's natural gas exports to Israel and Jordan. Flames as high as 20 meters was seen from faraway.
The incident, the ninth bombing attack on the pipelines in Arish since February, came as Egyptians brace for their historical parliamentary polls on Monday.
by AlicetheKurious » Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:21 am
SCAF: Sure, we massacre unarmed protesters in broad daylight and yes, we lie shamelessly and say we have never attacked any Egyptian, ever. We send machine-gun wielding soldiers to shut down tv stations who film our crimes. We kidnap and torture civilians and lock them up in military prison. We do everything to preserve the corrupt and criminal practices of the Mubarak regime while loudly proclaiming that we represent and protect the revolution. But election fraud? Never!
by AlicetheKurious » Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:27 am
Al-Masry Al-Youm obtains leaked ballots in advance of elections
Arabic Edition
Sun, 27/11/2011 - 19:52
Rigged ballots snuuck into polling station branch No. 13, during the parliamentary run-off polls in al-Zarqa district, Damietta, 5 December, 2010, in which 566 candidates compete for 283 seats in 166 constituencies. Photographed by Mohamed Maarouf
Al-Masry Al-Youm has obtained official ballots from the Red Sea and Fayoum governorates a day before parliamentary elections. The ballots were leaked in violation of the law.
Some ballots were filled with names of voters who have died, such as Ikram Mohamed al-Bendary of the Dar al-Salam constituency, who died eight years ago, as confirmed by her son-in-law, who discovered it while he was browsing the high elections committee website.
A security source said leaked ballots would not affect the electoral process, as it is closely monitored by judges inside the polling station and security personnel outside.
Translated from the Arabic Edition Link
by Nordic » Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:38 am
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