Secularists fear FJP domination of Egypt's incoming government

As newly-appointed PM prepares to unveil cabinet appointments, political groups and civil society voice fears that Egypt's new cabinet will be dominated by Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party

 

 

In a few days, Egypt's new cabinet is expected to be announced. At least this is what newly-appointed Prime Minister Hisham Qandil said at a press conference Thursday, before he attended the final meeting of the cabinet of his predecessor, outgoing premier Kamal El-Ganzouri.

"The names nominated for each portfolio will be finalised and presented to President Mohamed Morsi by Friday," Qandil told attendees of Thursday's press gathering, adding that some posts had already been assigned.

On Wednesday, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said that the official announcement of the new government could be expected by the middle of next week.

Both Ali and Qandil confirmed that some ministers in Ganzouri's cabinet would remain, while others were expected to be replaced.

"No clear reasons have been given about why some ministers will leave their posts while others will stay. This is a clear violation of the people's right to know," said Emad Mubarak of Egyptian NGO the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE).

The AFTE issued a statement on Wednesday criticising the way in which the president chose his first prime minister. The group also called for transparency, demanding that all state institutions should be committed to announcing their decisions and explaining clearly to the public why these decisions were made.

"Now Qandil – if he is really the one who chooses the ministers of his cabinet – is committing the same mistake," says Mubarak. "We are left trying to understand what is really going on from speculation and leaks. This, I say, is undemocratic."

For Mubarak and many others, the explanations given by Egypt's new premier are not convincing or reassuring.

Qandil, at his Thursday press conference, said that "some of the current ministers will be asked to stay after making sure they are willing to continue to work on achieving the president's electoral programme."

Morsi, who was the head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, ran for the presidency under the Brotherhood's "Renaissance" programme, which was put together by the group's strongman and first-choice presidential candidate Khairat El-Shater. This implies that those ministers who agree to carry out the presidential project will have Brotherhood sympathies.

Qandil added that the new government should be formed of a homogeneous team "that can work together to achieve the demands of the revolution." This is widely understood to mean that that the president, prime minister and his administration must share the same political affiliations.

Both criteria have sparked fear within Egypt's political arena, with some political forces deciding not to participate in any government formed by Morsi and Qandil.

Emad Gad, of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, told Ahram Online Thursday that "the success of Qandil's government is the responsibility of Morsi as a president, his Freedom and Justice Party and the Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, there is no doubt that the coming government will represent the FJP and the Brotherhood's agenda."

For his part, Qandil, who describes himself as a devout Muslim, has repeatedly denied, since assuming the presidential post, that he belongs to any political Islamist group.

"I'm not a member of the Brotherhood and I was never a member of any political party," Qandil reiterated on Thursday, adding that the selection of his ministers would be based on the nominees' efficiency and competency, not on their political or religious affiliations.

Qandil also denied that there was a quota for FJP party members in the new government, affirming a similar statement posted on Twitter on Thursday by FJP Vice-Chairman Essam El-Erian, who also refuted claims that that he himself had been offered a portfolio.

This is despite the fact that the head of the Brotherhood's administrative office in Alexandria, Medhat El-Hadad, said Tuesday that ten ministerial posts had been set aside for FJP party members.

Furthermore, economist and FJP member Abdallah Shehata told Ahram Online Thursday that the ministers of trade and industry, finance, and planning would be chosen by the FJP, even if FJP members themselves were not appointed to the positions in question.

Shehata also affirmed that the newly-appointed prime minister had been on the list of preferred nominees that the FJP initially presented to the president.

Consequently, many believe that ministry appointments will not escape the domination of the Brotherhood and its political party.

Nevertheless, the new cabinet is expected to include at least two Copts from the Ganzouri government: Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel-Nour and Scientific Research Minister Nadia Zakhary, both of whom met with Qandil on Wednesday.

Other indications show that veteran Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga, who has held the post for 11 years, will not be reappointed after she announced Thursday that she would not be a part of Qandil's cabinet. The military council's "strong woman" had been expected to remain in the position despite criticism from various political groups.

Ultimately, Egypt will have to wait until Friday to see whether the Brotherhood's FJP will enjoy the lion's share of the coming government.

Source: Ahram Online by Dina Samak

Hekayetna " Our Story " By Ultras Ahlawy

Over 2 years, from the beginning of the revolution until now, I didn't join any party or any political movement, simply I don't like to go into pieces, I love Unity, I find this unity in the Ultras groups, I am already a part of Ultras white knights, we were running here and there clashing with the other groups and so on, but after the revolution It was different, at the past Football divided us, we were fighting each other, but after the revolution we found the missed Unity.

although being Zamalkawy but I wanna show all the respect for Ahly's fans and Ultras, they proved, we proved that we are able to take the responsibility, It was one of the darkest days in my life when I was watching the massacre which happened in Port-Said stadium, was burning inside of this slaughter.

I would like to write about this songs, created by Ultras Ahlawy Red Devils, all I have to say is that this song " AWESOME "

The Song Lyrics

 When we came, football was full of lies and deception:
It was a distraction, and a mask for the authority.
They try to polish it and make it the country's concern:
They forgot the stadium, filled with thousands.
[try to] Kill the idea more and more.
Injustice is everywhere.
I will never forget your past,
You were the regime slave.

When the revolution erupted, we took to the streets all over the nation: We died for Freedom and the fall of corruption heads.

We are not done yet, as the regime is still kicking: The interior police of the [regime] dogs and injustice is everywhere.
[try to] Kill the revolution more and more.
The word "Freedom" drives you crazy!
No matter how brutal the warden is, he's a chicken against my voice.

We said it in the stadium, in front of millions: Down with the regime that kills our generation every day. 
They set us up and did the unthinkable: They killed our most precious friends, and the youth dream.

In Port Said, the victims saw Treachery before death.
They saw a regime that presents chaos as its only alternative.
That regime thought its grip will make it untouchable.
And make the revolutionary people kneel to the military rule. Not anymore!
Unleash more of your dogs [police], and spread chaos everywhere.
I will never trust you, nor let you control me one more day.

In Port Said, the dogs [regime thugs] were unleashed on the people. 
When SCAF opened the doors, they [regime thugs] charged on the people: spreading chaos, and killing the most precious youth.
Of them [the youth] were engineers, workers, and children too.
The passed away, while their dream was an end to your [military] rule.
Oh, SCAF you bastards. How much money is a martyr's blood?
You sold our blood cheap: to protect the regime which you are a part of

Constitution Party to submit registration papers next week

The Constitution Party will submit its registration papers to the Parties Affairs Committee next week after it assembles the required number of signatures, said Hossam Eissa, a law professor at Ain Shams University and a founding member of the party.

“Our program has been prepared and drafted by Dr. Galal Amin, and it will be presented to the party’s bases in rural regions and governorates in the coming days,” Eissa said in a statement published by the liberal Wafd Party’s newspaper on Wednesday.

The Constitution Party’s core principles are based on the concept of the state, democratic values, ensuring free markets without compromising social justice and providing the minimum requirements for a decent life for Egyptian citizens, Eissa continued.

Eissa said the party — which was cofounded by Mohamed ElBaradei, Alaa Al Aswany, Gameela Ismail and Ahmed Harara — will adopt ElBaradei’s document on supra-constitutional principles and will demand that the Constituent Assembly include those principles in the new constitution.

There have been ongoing negotiations with a number of other parties regarding their integration into the Constitution Party, Eissa added.

Source : Al Masry Al Youm