Opposition: NDP Scandals Herald Regime’s Looming End

Opposition: NDP Scandals Herald Regime’s Looming End

In the awake of the 8th NDP annual conference in 2002, the NDP Secretary General stated that the NDP Politics Committee (PC) will be the “vivid heart of the party and the key tool of the new thought.”


The Politics Secretariat was newly established to be presided by Gamal Mubarak, when it went through what can be called as “beautification operation” on the party through marginalizing the controversial older leaders. The ruling party ousted Yousef Wali from the party”s General Secretariat and demoted Kamal Al-Shazli; the man who stayed for longer time as the government mouthpiece.


However, the “vivid heart” has been completely controlled by businessmen which indicated the merge between authority and money given that the PC is entitled to pass laws and draw the general policy of the ruling NDP in Egypt.


Indeed, there have been many major corruption cases by NDP tycoons including bribes, monopoly, and even premeditated murder.


These corrupt practices at the hands of Mubarak JR’s retinue include but are not limited to the following: the NDP tycoon Hisham Talaat Mustafa, head of Housing Committee at the Shura Council and chairman of Talaat Mustafa Group (TMG), was arrested on charges of complicity in slaying pop singer Suzan Tamim in Dubai. The UAE exerted the much needed efforts in following-up the lawsuit and taking the most proper legal procedures.


On the same regard, news say that Muhammad Farid Khamis, head of the Industry Committee at the Shura council, has had his parliamentary immunity covertly cancelled due to bribery charges.


A question arises. Is it a campaign to oust the NDP leading figures or just conflicts between the interests of politics and money tycoons?


Abdul-Halim Qandil (editor- in- chief of the weekly Sawtul-Umma newspaper) answers the above question saying, “firstly, nothing exists as the NDP; it”s a gang affiliated to the state security apparatus and a presidency office managed by some business tycoons.”


“The French saying reads “Every gross fortune is escorted by a gross crime.” What”s happening is no more than a disassociation of a criminal assembly that has nothing to do with the interests of the county. The PC tycoons acquired their fortunes from illicit sources. That it why they are conflicting over the interests. This indicates the powerful stance of Ahmad Ezz within the regime despite all charges and doubts,” he added.


He also said that the regime had nothing to do with Hisham Talaat”s lawsuit. There has been intense pressure exerted by the ruling family of Dubai. The family has greater influence in Egypt due to huge monies flowing into Egypt, otherwise the suit would have been dealt with like that of Mamdouh Ismael, as he said.


Regarding the impacts on the NDP, he said that such incidents will have very passive impacts on the regime and its strength. The public discontent will be towered, he said.


Journalist Wael Al-Ibrashi said “corruption suits are the normal output of such a state of merge between authority and money that does not exist in any other country. There should be legal guarantees to ensure the separation between the public money and the private one.”


“The relation between the businessmen and those in power is nothing but interests exchange; businessmen seek protection from those in authority to ensure growing profits. While rulers seek personal benefits from the business tycoons,” he added.


He said it is a big lie to consider Hisham Talaat a victim of the NDP conflicts; however the people are the real victims.


He concluded by saying that the NDP “has no past, present, or future”.


Magdi Qorqor (Associate Secretary General of the Egyptian Labor Party) commented on the current trouble facing the NDP saying “this indicates the weak nature of the ruling party and its incapacity.”


Commenting on the issue of the regime”s abandonment of Hisham Talaat same like others, he affirmed that the regime did its best in this regard to make the case pass peacefully like Mamdouh Ismael”s. However it became very difficult to do this amidst the growing popular awareness and interferences of the British Embassy and Dubai government.