ROUND THREE OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS - MORE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 009271

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPAO KMDR OPRC EG
SUBJECT: ROUND THREE OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS - MORE
VIOLENCE, PESSIMISM, AND DEBATE: EGYPTIAN
MEDIA THEMES, DECEMBER 5-11.


1. Summary: The third and final round of voting for the
Parliamentary elections occurred on Dec. 7, amidst violence
and closure of numerous polling stations. According to
election monitors and news reports, journalists and
television crews in some flashpoint locations were turned
away from polling stations, with reports of one Al-Jazeera
crew assaulted near a polling station in Upper Egypt. As
in previous weeks, the press focused on the vocal
complaints of judges as the elections period passed. As the
dust settled, news analysis and editorials debated
successes and failures and the prospect for reform in the
new Parliament. State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam
Ereli's comments on the elections received front page
attention in the days after the elections.



2. Overview of Election Results and Polling: On Dec. 8,
all papers carried similar news stories of violence and
polling station closings. News sections provided the
Election Commissions announcement that 12 seats (out of
444) remained undecided due to court rulings canceling the
elections in several municipalities. Egyptian Television
provided extensive footage of elections, including violence
in several locations. The two leading pro-government
dailies (Al-Ahram, circ. 750,000) and (Al-Akhbar, circ.
800,000) carried news stories describing the day as the
most violent of all election days and enumerating
individual deaths and injuries. Al-Ahram, on Dec. 10,
quoted State Department Deputy Spokesman Ereli in a front
page story saying that the recent elections gave a chance
for the opposition and for independents to achieve historic
progress, that the U.S. is concerned over the violence, that
we are handling this issue and will continue to do so with
the Egyptian Government at the highest levels." It went on
to quote Ereli as saying that the Muslim Brothers were
elected as independents and there is no recommendation...
to prevent us from dealing with them in that capacity.


3. NDP's "defeat"; pessimism about reform prospects and
the lack of a real opposition: Despite retaining a large
majority of seats in the Parliament, the theme of several
television talk shows and opinion columns was that the NDP
failed in the elections, due to its perceived hand in the
election violence, its inability to obtain wide public
support, and its inability to prevent strong opposition
parties from running. Questions also arose over the
prospects for reform. On Dec. 5, columnist Magdy Mehanna
from the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Yom (circ. 25,000)
criticized the NDP supreme committee for including
ing
independent candidates in the NDP and, thereby, "deceiving
the public about its victory." On Dec. 6, Al-Ahram's
independent columnist, Salama Ahmad Salama blamed the NDP
for "resisting change and reform." Al-Ahrams liberal
columnist, Abdallah Abdel Salam wrote that the elections
resulted in a victory for the Old Guard who are
unfortunately controlling and shaping political reform.
Similarly, opposition daily Al-Wafd also struck out against
the Old Guard as the reason for the setback for democracy
and reform. Al-Ahram's columnist, Dr. Mohammed El-Sayed
Saied said many of the well-known candidates failed to
retain their seats because they "spoke a language that
those who went to vote did not understand, while those who
understood did not vote." A similar view was expressed on
December 5 on the live current issues talk show, "Bebasata"
on Al-Mehwar TV (private Egyptian TV satellite channel)
when Al-Ahram writer, Abdel Azim Darwish accused the
d the
opposition of failing and for "obviously having no
existence among the masses." Al-Akhbar's unsigned
editorial on Dec. 7 hewed more to the official line: "the
current parliamentary elections are the most transparent
and honest elections in Egypt over the past 50 years" and
"full democracy cannot be achieved overnight."


4. Role of Judges: Many papers continued to highlight the
protests of individual judges, and of the Judges
Association, over the ambiguous status forced upon them
during their monitoring of the elections. In the days
before the elections, the pan-Arab newspaper, Al-Sharq Al-
Awsat quoted judges saying that "the physical assaults on
them were a political decision" and calling for "removing
the Ministers of Interior and Justice" if judges are
assaulted again or if "voters are prevented from voting."
On Dec. 8, all papers reported that 40 judges "withdrew
from the elections in objection to the violence and lack of
security" and, moreover, printed the Judges Association's
s
official report that security forces had shot voters and
citizens.


5. Ayman Nour case: On Dec. 6, all papers reported the
resumption of the trial of Al-Ghad party Chairman, Ayman
Nour, charged with forging signatures to establish his
party, and the subsequent decision to continue his
detention pending completion of the trial. On Dec. 11, Al-
Masry Al-Yom reported that Nour's trial was postponed until
Dec. 12 for the arguments of the defense.

RICCIARDONE