Egypt Reads between the lines of Campaign Posters

An article in Newsweek suggests there may be inner strife in Egypt 's ruling national Democratic Party with the looming presidential elections scheduled for 2011. It questioned the posters hung in Egypt 's poorer streets and districts which give no indication as to who will be the successor of 82 year old President Hosni Mubarak where it writes;

"In recent weeks, posters reading GAMAL MUBARAK: THE DREAM OF THE POOR have sprung up in impoverished neighborhoods across the country. The odd thing is that Gamal’s father, octogenarian President Hosni Mubarak has never once hinted at what or who, might follow his reign".

According to political analyst Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayed the campaign for Gamal is a message from the midlevel party officials and business elites to Mubarak senior that it was high time things changed.

” Conflict appears to be brewing between two camps in the ruling party. Gamal Mubarak, who worked for several years as an investment banker in London , is the business community’s darling, pushing for neoliberal economic reforms".

The president’s ruling National Democratic Party which is renowned for its tight control publicly denies however any affiliation with the campaign for Gamal. All said and done Al-Sayed views the transition is a carefully planned agenda stressing that

The business class is backing Gamal to assuage investors’ fears of a succession crisis. The old guard is said to be hesitant over Gamal’s civilian background and lack of experience, but with Egypt ’s rich already in his pocket, the transition could be underway.