Al-Ahram details the “decisive measures to end school chaos” in its lead story. During a surprise inspection of several schools in the Helwan district yesterday, Minister of Education Ahmed Zaki Badr reportedly reprimanded numerous teachers, principals, and other various school administrators for the “lack of integrity” they displayed towards their jobs. The minister even transferred several under-performing teachers to schools in “the most remote corners of Helwan” as punishment for their negligence. Badr singled out Helwan’s El-Kholafa’ El-Rashideen School for Boys as being “the worst school” and “an unsuitable environment for the educational process.” The school’s principal, who arrived after the first class ended on the day of the minister’s surprise inspection, was transferred to Minya for his tardiness, according to Al-Ahram.
The story also made its way onto the bottom of Al-Akhbar’s front page, where in an accompanying image, Badr can be seen dragging his index finger over a dusty computer as an admonished teacher looks on in silent embarrassment.
State-owned papers also report on Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif’s meeting with the ministers of finance, administrative development and social solidarity. Having convened to discuss “additional articles” to the recently approved 2010/2011 national budget, the ministers ended their meeting by announcing an extra LE500 million for state pensions, raising the amount allocated to pensions from LE1.1 billion to LE1.6.
Just below a story on pensioners’ benefits improving is an article about the younger generations’ struggle for a decent living. In what Al-Ahram calls a “clear display of sympathy to the hordes of young people protesting outside the walls of the People’s Assembly,” People’s Assembly Speaker Fathi Sorour expressed his concern over the situation to colleagues in parliament.
“A young person’s monthly salary is barely equal to what should be paid for an hour’s worth of work,” Sorour reportedly said to his fellow MPs, adding, “I assure you, we are better off shutting down our universities instead of paying graduates LE100 a month.”
Meanwhile, Al-Gomhurriya concerns itself with the “detailed report” that President Mubarak received yesterday from Ahmed Nazif, summarizing the recent Arab Summit held in Sirte, Libya. Nazif attended the summit in Mubarak’s place, while the president was in Germany recovering from two surgeries. The paper mentions briefly “the Egyptian party’s efforts in focusing the summit on the ongoing Jerusalem controversy,” but follows up with a list of world leaders who called Mubarak to “wish him well.”
Al-Shorouq promises a “Brotherhood Party within a few months” in its lead headline. The story goes on to describe recent measures by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau as an attempt at forming their own political party. According to the paper, these measures come after a series of suggestions from members of the parliamentary faction, as well as Brotherhood leaders. The Brotherhood will announce its final decision regarding the formation of its party in approximately two weeks, according to the independent daily.
The deadline is a strategic decision, ensuring that any steps towards the formation of a party occur before the end of the current parliamentary season, Al-Shorouq reports. The Brotherhood currently occupies an unprecedented number of seats in parliament and it is possible the group might not repeat its electoral success. “The upcoming elections will be plagued with widespread fraud and forgery due to the state of political vivacity which Egypt is currently experiencing,” explained a Brotherhood spokesperson. “In addition, international variables might influence the system into accepting a civil, political party for the Brotherhood.”
In Al-Wafd, Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros-Ghali “takes back” the threats he had previously issued to any Egyptian citizen who fails to present tax declarations before 31 March. In a spontaneous decision, Ghali not only canceled the deadline, but extended the working hours within real estate tax commission centers to 10PM. No explanation was offered.
According to the opposition daily, the finance minister later indicated that “the government does not aim to make a profit off of taxes, but instead plans on designing a comprehensive real estate map which can be utilized in formulating developmental plans throughout various governorates.”
Al-Dostour’s front page features a photo of Wafd Party member Fouad Badrawy, under the headline “Badrawy declares himself candidate for party leadership.” Speaking to the independent daily, Badrawy claims his repeated attempts at “defending the Wafd Party’s legacy and pushing it forward” were met with numerous “difficulties” which have ultimately led to the deterioration of the party’s status as well as its “organizational structure.” The announcement, made yesterday will see Badrawy face current party leader Mahmoud Abaza in the upcoming elections, which are scheduled for June.
