Developments in Nasser City

Developments in Nasser City
By Abdel Mo’z Muhammad

 The nomination of the Moslem Brotherhood for candidacy in the parliamentary election in Nasser City district, known as the president’s district, inflamed the competition. This district becomes on the spot due to many reasons. The Moslem Brotherhood appointed two candidates. Furthermore, a new fraud comes to surface; the candidates of the National Democratic Party made up the so-called collective voting enrollment. On the other hand, the district was an arena of money war among a number of businessmen. Vote buying was a remarkable phenomenon, as well. A yes vote for the NDP nominees equals, in some electoral stations, 500 pounds. 

However, the Moslem Brotherhood attainted many fruits. In the past, the presence of Moslem Brotherhood winner candidates, in the president’s district, was impossible. The negative image drawn by the NDP in the district about the MB underwent a noticeable change. In addition, the popularity of the MB increased.

The final result of voting count, announced after prolonged delay, shows Mustafa el-Salab, the NDP nominee, 12010 votes, wins over Makarm el-Deary, the MB candidate, 11589 votes. On the other hand, the second MB nominee, Essam Mokhter, 13727 votes, achieves victory over the NDP candidate, Thuria Labina, 9232 votes. Although el-Deary lost, she achieved a landmark success that reflects her potential chance to win the next election.

As for Essam Mokhter, in addition to the large-scale popular support to him, the plunging popularity of his competitor, the NPD nominee, enhanced his opportunity to overcome her.

A problem emerged in spite of the perfect judiciary supervision over voting and count processes, regardless some contraventions. Either reelection of the district will be frozen, according to a legal action token by the NDP nominee or the two MB candidates will be announced as winners.

In order to find a solution, the president of the general electoral commission consulted with the chairman of Judges’ Club, who advised him to proclaim the real result for respect people’s votes then to freeze election, in accordance with the court ruling. The president of the electoral commission decided to do so. Accordingly, the government found itself in a dilemma. In order to end this plight, the legal action was withdrawn and the voting count was finished. The government preferred to let one MB winner candidate to have no NDP candidates in the president’s district.  

Disregarding the details of the last hours before the result announcement, it underlined the unpopularity of the NDP. It also highlighted that the increasing popular support for the Moslem Brotherhood is very likely if the movement is given the chance to promote it.

The outcome of the reelection underscored the honesty of the Egyptian judiciary branch. As he is a member of Judges’ Club, the supervisory judge did not seek the advice of the Justice Minister, who is the president of the Supreme Electoral Commission, but consulted the chairman of Judges’ Club, which played a significant role in having fair election, at rate of 70% at least.     

If the election was perfectly just in the Cairo districts of Kerdasa, Bolaq and el-Dokay, the Moslem Brotherhood would have won 40 seats instead of 32 in the first phase of the parliamentary election.