Thursday, September 08, 2005

Is this the Promised Democracy?

Every Egyptian apparently knew the results of the elections beforehand; I would say that 90% of the registered votes did not go to the polls. Any Egyptian citizen can write long list for the violations committed since the so-called election process has started, that is summarized in one phrase; “my vote won’t make a difference”. The amendment of the article 76 of the constitution by the president after the May 25 Referendum to allow multiple presidential candidacy, uncovered the real intention and the nature of the dictatorship of Egypt.

The Language of the Regime: An ignorant prime minister had never been in the politics arena all his life visits the US to insult all Egyptians in front of international press as saying they are not eligible for democracy. In fact, he is not eligible for any decent job any human being can take with dignity in life. He is only a kisser up; these are his qualifications to run Egypt.

May 25, the famous Referendum Day comes, and instead of listening to the people, the thugs of the Egyptian ministry of the interior beat and rape women in the streets of Cairo, ripping their clothes into shreds. This is the language our regime prefers to talk to us with. The incident of beating civilians with brutality occurred more than once since May 25 and until Election Day and only because Egyptians dared to freely express their opinion.

Participation: We should not also forget that there are two main parties that did not participate in the elections because they did not resign to the twisting arm policy of the regime accepting the breadcrumbs of democracy they are throwing on the floor for their collaborators to lick. These two parties constitute the leftist majority of the Egyptians. And the banned Muslim brotherhood, despite their recent change towards power in Egypt, they like to maintain the same love-hate relationship with the regime to guarantee more gains at the expense of the liberal Egyptians. They have been close collaborators with the July 23 coup d’etats. They always acted as a shadow partner. When the government wants them to play a role, it opens gates and mosques are built everywhere in Egypt. When the group asks for democracy, the result is 3000 detainees overnight and deals under the table. We should not undermine the numbers of these groupings whether we agreed with them or not. Egyptians abroad were not allowed to vote… a real joke, no comment.

Monitoring: The regime allowed the Egyptian NGOs to monitor, two hours after the polling stations opened doors.
Judges determined to monitor elections a couple of days before the elections which does not give them much time to prepare for serious monitoring. Many of them were disqualified on purpose for disagreeing with the regime.
International observers were not allowed when Egypt gave itself the right to monitor the Palestinian elections and did not think of the Palestinian sovereignty and interfering in their domestic affairs. This is the ever lasting double standard policy the Egyptian regime is adopting all the way with us.

Election irregularities: As I told you any Egyptian can write long lists of violations, but I picked this from AFP. In statements obtained Thursday by AFP, several civil society organizations who monitored the vote listed the different types of abuses that marred the polling.


Herewith a list of abuses compiled from reports by the Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, the Independent Committee for Monitoring Elections, Sawasya and the Egyptian Association for the Support of Democratic Development

  • More than 1,000 customs employees voted collectively for Mubarak in the Alexandria governorate. Similar cases were reported elsewhere in the country.
  • The judge manning the Sadat school polling station in the southern town of Kaws left his post. Delegates from Mubarak's National Democratic Party stuffed the ballot box with 470 votes for Mubarak.
  • NDP delegates threatened to have voters arrested and their social benefits cut if they did not cast their ballot for Mubarak in the southern governorate of Beni Sueif.
  • In Al-Buhayra area, public transport was used to ship villagers to polling stations. They were urged to vote for Mubarak.
  • In the Mediterranean province of Port Said, NDP officials exercised pressure on voters inside polling stations.
  • In Cairo's Sayyeda Sakina school, an electoral official ticked the Mubarak box on the ballot for several illiterate voters.
  • In Cairo's Nasr City area, people carrying up-to-date voters cards were denied the right to vote because they did not produce an NDP card.
  • Several polling stations across the country were not equipped with curtains and voters had to make their choice under the supervision of NDP delegates.
  • Mubarak supporters actively campaigned all day inside and outside polling stations across the country. Pictures of Mubarak were even plastered on the walls inside some polling stations.
  • Security forces and intelligence forces were seen inside polling stations where they had not been invited by the judge.
  • Civil servants employed by the water authority were promised a free subscription at the administration's club if they voted for Mubarak.
  • The indelible ink in which voters were due to dip their finger to prevent double-voting was missing from several polling stations.

Anyone here to add? I am sure thousands of violations committed can be added.

Sad conclusion: The result of the whole election farce is that the Egyptians are back to their national disobedience that started more than 50 years ago because they are not represented. No one wanted to be part of the farce in 2005. And it is so sad because Egyptians had the first people's parliamentary true representation in 1866 what was known as "Magless Shoura Al Nowab".

Egyptians had the first constitution when many European countries did not know even the definition of a constitution. Egyptians had their first constitution written by Egyptians in 1923 and later was approved Saad Zaghlol. The constitution was written by our honorable grandparent Egyptians and group of lawyers led by Ahmed Talaat Pasha. The constitution and the will of people ruled until 1952.

The Egyptian people had attempts to write their first constitution in 1880 and 1907.

It is worth mentioning here the illiteracy rate in Egypt at that time was over 90% which did not hamper them to think with dignity and love for our beloved Egypt.
The 1919 Egyptian Revolution was the only revolution worldwide that produced a true liberal experience among revolutions in the 20th century. All peer revolutions were either socialist, communist…etc. The Egyptian constitution was written before the constitution of the country of the largest democracy in the 21st century that's India.

For the dream of freedom, I will continue to be vocal and outspoken about my rights and others. If the election game came to an end, then we have just started. Free-willed Egyptians will definitely win because we have a cause. Humans are not created to be slaves for power-thirst lunatics. We are born free.

I love you, my Egypt.

Democracy is NOT a ballot box.

Here are some photos to share with you from the opposition demonstrations on election day.







4 Comments:

At 3:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

what? don't tell me you missed the whole protest turns into a 3 hours march across downtown thing.

 
At 11:27 AM, Blogger ritzy said...

And here's my ever growing list... let's stuff it, there are still people who think this was a real election. Appreciate your support.
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-irregularity-report-89.html

Alaa -- I hear it was a wonderful one hour at Tahrir, three hour march and one hour at the journalist syndicate; please let us know when you're doing it again, would love to be with you.

 
At 8:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

ritzy first lesson for a wanabe activist, read manalaa.net and misrdigital.blogspirit.com regularly

second lesson is give your email or mobile to one of the shabab who spam the movement.

anyways next thing is saturday 10 september 6pm tal3at harb square, do say hello to me and manal if you make it.

 
At 5:17 PM, Blogger newc said...

Maybe a constructive thing would be to Work on building a good Parliment to balance power.

THAT would be a Start.

I AM proud of you all.

 

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