Wednesday's newspapers dedicate much of their front-page coverage to the makeup of the new parliament. State-owned Al-Ahram's main headline reads: "New People's Assembly to convene for first session on Monday." The sub-headlines read: "Mubarak to deliver an important speech before the National Democratic Party's parliamentary authority within days," and "Enhancing the parliamentary chamber to accommodate 518 MPs."
In the liberal opposition Al-Wafd newspaper the main headline reads: "Even Tanzanian newspapers are making fun of us: Egyptian elections are a sham in preparation for [hereditary presidential] succession." A sub-headline reads: "Associated Press publishes reports by civil society organizations pertaining to electoral fraud, and a call to President Mubarak to annul the elections." Another article in the paper is published under the headline: "Mystery shrouds the destiny of the dubious People's Assembly." Its sub-header reads: "Ideas about an appeal for a voters' referendum on the continuation of this assembly, or conducting new elections."
Other Al-Wafd election-related articles bear the headlines: "Today.. Mubarak to issue decree for appointment of 10 MPs," and "Expected appointments include Mahgoub, al-Dakrouri, el-Sha'er, and five Copts including one woman." This article speculates that the president's ten appointees in parliament will include Mohamed Ali Mahgoub, former Minister of Religious Endowments, Judge Mohamed al-Dakrouri, and legal expert Ramzi al-Sha'er along with five Coptic Christians, including a woman, to replace the outgoing MP Georgette Sobhi.
The chief headline in the independent Al-Shorouk newspaper reads: "Final results for the National Democratic Party: 474 seats, and independent MPs aligned." In another headline: "3800 judicial appeals pertaining to elections before the administrative courts…1000 verdicts issued, 15 of which have been implemented." While another election-related article focuses on the former Minister of Justice, Mahmoud Abul Leil: "I did not cast my vote because I knew where it would go." A separate article is published under the headline "Amnesty International warns the government about greater violence during the presidential elections [of 2011]."
Al-Shorouk runs another election-related headline reading: "Today the opposition will discuss the establishment of a 'popular parliament' composed of 100 MPs, the most prominent of which include Hamdeen, Zahran, and al-Katatni." The article mentions that Egypt's political opposition and independent MPs–who were voted out of the People's Assembly–are considering the establishment of a parallel and popular legislative assembly consisting initially of 100 MPs, presided over by former MPs Hamdeen Sabbahi (chief of the Nasserist-oriented Karama Party, which has not yet been granted official party status), Gamal Zahran (leader of the independent bloc in the 2005-2010 parliament), and Saad al-Katatni (the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in the 2005-2010 parliament).
In the independent Al-Dostour newspaper, the main headline reads: "Brookings Institution: 2010 elections are the least legitimate in Egypt's history." While another headline focuses on the Muslim Brotherhood's stance regarding these elections: "Brotherhood to announce the expulsion of Ashour on Saturday." This article mentions that the Muslim Brotherhood will expel its member Magdy Ashour in response to his decision to partake in the run-off elections of 5 December, which contravened the organization's stance of boycotting the elections in light of what they described as widespread vote-rigging during the first round on 28 November.
In news relating to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Al-Ahram runs a headline reading: "Britain arrests Assange, founder of WikiLeaks," and a sub-header reads: "Spokesman for the website: We will continue to publish documents from a number of locations." Al-Wafd and state-owned Al-Akhbar run identical headlines pertaining to this news with the following: "Assange hands himself in to British police." Al-Wafd adds: "Concerns regarding his handover to America." In Al-Shorouk: "Founder of WikiLeaks in the grip of Britain's police."
Movie star Omar Sherif received a decent amount of media coverage on Wednesday due to his upcoming surgical operation. In Al-Ahram, a headline reads: "Urgent operation for Omar Sherif in Paris to replace his hip joint." Meanwhile Al-Wafd ran a headline reading: "Urgent surgical operation for artist Omar Sherif."
An ongoing shark-hunt also received a lot of press coverage on Wednesday. An oceanic white tip shark believed to be responsible for the injury of four Russian and Ukrainian tourists and the death of a fifth German tourist, is still being tracked off the coast of the Red Sea resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh. In Al-Akhbar a front page headline reads: "Resumption of dive operations in Sharm al-Sheikh…increased tourism in Dahab." The paper quotes the Minister of Tourism Zuhair Garanah: "Ongoing efforts to confront sharks, and no worries about tourism being affected."
In Al-Ahram the headline reads: "Comprehensive survey of Sharm al-Sheikh's coastline in search for the shark." Al-Dostour runs a headline reading: "State of emergency in the Ministry of Environment during hunt for the shark off the coasts of Sharm al-Sheikh."
Egypt's papers:
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-Shorouk: 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
