The second of round of Egypt's People's Assembly elections starts today in nine governorates. And even though the high elections commission has banned candidates from campaigning two days prior to the elections, state-owned Al-Ahram reports that members of the armed forces will be cruising through the governorates in military vehicles, exhorting people to vote: an impetus to go to the polls, if there ever was one.
The first round of elections more ore less passed peacefully, so people are expecting the same for this round as the governorates of Giza, Sharqiya, Monufiya, Ismailia, Suez, Beni Suef, Sohag, Aswan and Beheira turn out to vote.
Privately owned Al-Shorouk writes of a visit by an American delegation led by US Senator John Kerry to the high elections commission to see how the electoral process is going, as part of the “judicial cooperation” between the two countries. There is no mention of how this could be construed as a transgression of Egyptian sovereignty, the reason previously given for not allowing international monitors during the elections.
There’s more juice about the elections in privately owned Al-Dostour, which reports that the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, had filed five complaints against the Salafi-led Nour Party for spreading rumors about rivals and — with tongue firmly in cheek, no doubt — exploiting religion and houses of worship to promote its candidates.
On a somewhat related issue, Al-Ahram reports that in “a strong message to reassure Egyptians that security was returning to the streets,” the armed forces, in conjunction with the police, have launched major campaigns nationwide to restore security. The campaigns resulted in 53 arrests and in Daqahlia, two officers were killed during one such effort.
Al-Shorouk also covers the topic in a similar manner, leading with the headline “The Interior Ministry bears its teeth,” and adds that there was popular support for the return of security. It seems new Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim wants to make his presence felt.
State-owned Al-Gomhurriya runs wild with this story, painting Ibrahim as the sheriff that will restore order to the lawless border town that is this nation. As he met throngs of supporters in Ramses, he said, “We will strike hard.” He added that security would return to the Egyptian street “within days” and that the Emergency Law will be applied to criminals, thugs and drug dealers.
Perhaps because its party didn't do as well as expected in the elections, Al-Wafd focuses on the new government under Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri, and how a meeting with families of the 25 January revolution martyrs delayed the cabinet’s first meeting by 24 hours.
But the paper also address the elections. In a front-page column, Editor-in-Chief Suleiman Gouda writes that the newspaper still has a viable party with a long history and tradition, and that criticism of the party was neither constructive nor innocent and had "other aims."
Al-Wafd also publishes a statement made by party leader al-Sayyed al-Badawy in a speech in Edfu, during which he said that the Wafd Party was capable of coming up with the proper budget to completely eradicate poverty.
And just in case you missed it, there's an ad on Al-Wafd's front page that points out the party's election symbol — a palm tree.
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-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
