HALA MUSTAFA REAPPOINTED TO NDP POLICIES COMMITTEE

UNCLAS CAIRO 006974 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC STAFF FOR WATERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EG SUBJECT: HALA MUSTAFA REAPPOINTED TO NDP POLICIES COMMITTEE REF: A. CAIRO 6857 ¶B. CAIRO 6676 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Hala Mustafa, the NDP Policies Committee member who had expressed concerns that her criticism of the GOE and the ruling NDP had led to threats against her safety and reputation (retels),has renewed her membership in the Policies Committee. In an article in Al-Masry Al-Youm (AMAY) on November 15, Mustafa said that she had held "positive dialogues" with Gamal Mubarak and NDP Secretary General Safwat Sherif who had promised to address Mustafa's concerns, including her complaints of unfounded press attacks and an alleged embargo on publication of her writings in Al-Ahram, as well as her concerns about politically-motivated funding cuts for her monthly "Democracy" at Al-Ahram Center. ¶2. (SBU) In a wide-ranging interview published by AMAY on November 19, Mustafa said that her dispute was not with Gamal Mubarak, the NDP Policies Committee chairman, but rather with unnamed security officials and unnamed colleagues on the policy committee "who portrayed me as an agent for America." Mustafa also noted that she does not see "any alternative" to Gamal Mubarak and that she would "accept his presidency." Mustafa opined that advisors close to Gamal "are the main problem." Finally she suggested that denials by the Mubaraks that Gamal is seeking to be the next president of Egypt may be rooted in "uneasiness about expressing political ambition freely." ¶3. (SBU) Poloff sought a meeting with Mustafa on November 20 to discuss her AMAY comments; due to the serious illness of her sister, she said she was unable to meet until the last week of November. Poloff will follow up with Mustafa. RICCIARDONE