State-owned flagship newspaper Al-Ahram leads with President Mubarak preparing to announce the names of the 44 newly appointed members of the Shura Council–the largely symbolic upper house of Parliament. One-third of the council’s 264 members are elected with the rest appointed by Mubarak. The election/appointment cycle is staggered every three years, so today’s presidential appointments, along with the elections held at the beginning of June, will fill half of the Shura Council seats. No early hints from Al-Ahram however, as far as who will be chosen by Mubarak for a six-year term.
Another front page Al-Ahram story details a legal ruling that could mushroom into a large headache for a lot of wealthy people. The Administrative Court ruled Tuesday that the original sale of the 8,000 feddans of government land outside the capital to a major land developer was invalid. The reason: an insufficiently open bidding process and strong implications of a corrupt sweetheart deal.
The land in question, purchased from the Urban Communities Authority by the Talaat Mustafa Group (TMG) is set to eventually become Madinaty–a swank new addition to the clusters of gated communities ringing the city. A rival developer first brought the suit, claiming that TMG received unprecedented government services and perks in a deal that was never realistically open to other bidders. The court apparently agreed, leaving the future of TMG’s flagship development in doubt. And yes, that’s the same company whose former chairman, Hisham Talaat Mustafa is heading into his second trial for allegedly ordering a hit on his girlfriend after the original death sentence was overturned.
In the independent press, Al-Shorouq devotes front page coverage to the TMG-Madinaty ruling, but also runs a dramatic cover photo showing the smoking ruins of the Friday Market. The famed outdoor bazaar in the shadow of the Citadel was gutted by a fast-moving blaze on Tuesday that killed three people and injured another 50. No word yet on the cause and given the nature of the Friday Market, figuring out the actual value of the lost goods could prove tricky.
Al-Dostour runs a tantalizing front-page teaser to an inside article, promising an exploration of “The President’s Man and the President’s Son’s Man.” Inside, editor-in-chief Ibrahim Eissa spends half a page debating with himself the unanswerable question: Who is more powerful? Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif or steel tycoon (and Gamal Mubarak confidant) Ahmed Ezz?
Egypt’s newspapers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run
Rose el-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party’s Policies Secretariat
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouq:Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party
Youm7: Weekly, privately owned
Sawt el-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
