Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !

Africa North

Egypt military clears way for Nur to run for president

2012-03-29

[Emirates 24/7] Egypt's military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi on Wednesday granted opposition figure Ayman Nur full political rights, allowing him to run in a May presidential election, state media reported. This is the guy Hosni jugged last election... Nur, who challenged ousted president Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... in a 2005 election, last year lost an appeal to erase a five-year jail sentence passed on forgery charges. The sentence made him ineligible to run for office. Tantawi decreed that Nur "could engage in all his political rights," the official MENA news agency reported. Nur shot to fame when he ran in Egypt's first multi-candidate presidential election, losing overwhelmingly to Mubarak who had ruled Egypt since 1981 and was finally ousted by a popular uprising last year. Months after the election in which he clinched 7.6 percent of the vote, he was sentenced to five years in jail on what many saw as politically-motivated charges. The sentencing was denounced by the United States, which called for Nur's release. He was finally freed in 2009 on health grounds. To run for Egypt's top job, Nur who founded the Al-Ghad party, must either be nominated by a party or secure the endorsement of 30 MPs or 30,000 eligible voters from 15 provinces.

Link

Africa North

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood considers entering polls

2010-09-25

[Al Arabiya] The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's main opposition group, does not plan to heed calls for a boycott of November's parliamentary elections, a senior member of the moderate Islamist movement said on Thursday. "The official decision has still not been announced by the movement's political bureau," but "the plan for the Muslim Brotherhood is to participate in the legislative elections as in all elections," the group's front man Hamdi Hassan told AFP. "We have said that we will boycott the vote if there is unanimity among the opposition parties on such a boycott, but this is not the case. Instead, the opposition parties are gradually announcing their planned participation, so the position of the Muslim Brotherhood is to do likewise." Hassan said the group planned to field "at least 160 candidates" for the 506 seats being contested, with the number potentially rising to allow members to run for some of the 62 seats reserved for women. But he warned that if the government ended up "falsifying" the vote there would be "unprecedented violence, "... and believe me, most Mohammedan violence is precedented!... because the people no longer fear the security services." He also slammed a decision taken three years ago to replace the judges previously responsible for monitoring the polls with appointed officials. The officially banned but tolerated Muslim Brotherhood clinched 20 percent of seats in the 22D5 legislative polls by running as "independents," in a surprise win that commentators said rattled the ruling National Democratic Party. Earlier this month Mohamed ElBaradei, the former UN nuclear chief turned Egyptian reformer, called for a boycott of the upcoming elections ... which is a guarantee you're not gonna win... and warned of civil disobedience if demands for political reform are not met. That's how a suave former member of the international diplomatic set says, "Nice little country ya got there. Be a shame if something happened to it." The thing is, I don't think he's got the connections to do more than suavely hint at those two sentences, and I'm pretty sure if I know that, so does Mubarak, pere (pretend the proper accent sits over that first e, 'k?), the one currently carrying the title of President of Egypt. But the only other party to join him so far is the small al-Ghad party, whose founder Ayman Nur was the sole serious challenger to incumbent Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential election. Members of Egypt's liberal Wafd party voted in favour of participating in the November elections at their general assembly on Friday, although 44 percent supported a boycott. Widespread irregularities were reported during elections in May for the Egyptian parliament's upper house, with the Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie saying security officials had removed posters of his movement's candidates and prevented them from campaigning or meeting electors.

Link

Africa Horn

A little detail on Egypt's issue with the EU

2008-01-18

Spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry raised his eyebrows at a para in the European resolution, criticizing Egypt over tunnels used in the alleged frontier running of weapons to Gaza. A mere mentioning of such a topic sends the resolution into question, he said. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit condemned here Thursday a European Parliament resolution criticizing the status of human rights in Egypt. Abul Gheit made the remarks after the European Parliament already passed a resolution in this respect earlier in the day even after Cairo summoned EU ambassadors to complain about the text. Emphatically rejecting the resolution, the Egyptian foreign minister said the European Parliament was ignorant about Egypt or even about how to deal with it and its political, economic and social reforms over recent years. "Egypt needs no lessons from any party, especially if this party is marked by a high measure of arrogance associated with ignorance," he criticized. He called on European members of parliament to hail Egypt's political and social reforms instead of flatly rapping obstacles which the Egyptian government seeks determinedly to remove. Abul Gheit hailed the Egyptian People's Assembly, lower house of Egyptian parliament, for boycotting the Euro-Mediterranean Parliament in response to the European gadfly resolution. In a related development, Spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry raised his eyebrows at a para in the European resolution, criticizing Egypt over tunnels used in the alleged frontier running of weapons to Gaza. A mere mentioning of such a topic sends the resolution into question, he said. At a sparsely attended plenary session, 52 of the 59 deputies present voted for the resolution, while seven abstained. The parliament seats 784 deputies. The text criticizes Egypt over the status of religious minorities, alleged torture practices and Egypt's decades-long state of emergency. It also calls for the immediate release of jailed former member of parliament and former Al-Ghad Party leader Ayman Nur, who was a rival to President Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential elections. He has been in jail for fraud. Ahead of the vote in Strasbourg, France, senior E.U. lawmakers vowed not to bow to Egyptian pressure, after the parliament in Cairo announced it would sever links with the European assembly. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of European Union countries in Cairo to express its "complete rejection" of the European Parliament resolution.

Link

Africa North

Egypt slams Washington over rights report

2007-03-11

It's an annual display of eye-rolling and teeth-gnashing, as predictable as robins returning for the spring. Have you ever noticed that you always know when you've seen the first robin of Spring, but never when you've seen the last robin of Fall? So we'll never know when the Egyptians finally join the civilized world? CAIRO - Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit lashed out at Washington on Saturday over its annual human rights report, which was critical of the situation in Egypt. ‘The State Department’s report and its allegations over the human rights situation in Egypt are inappropriate, since the United Nations has not given any state the right to be the guardian of the rights situation in the world,’ he told reporters. Tell that to the Belgians. ‘Those who wrote the report have no idea about objective realities in the countries mentioned,’ said Abul Gheit, adding that the document is based on ‘imprecise and incomplete information.’ Once again we point out all the miseries and fallings, and once again they tell us to mind our own business. ‘The report overlooks the numerous recent positive developments in the field of human rights that have taken place in Egypt,’ he said. I can't think of one, but perhaps someone can ... The minister, whose country receives 1.8 billion dollars in US aid a year, underlined the ‘importance of US-Egyptian relations’ and identical views over the key principals of human rights. Like free elections .. er, no .. like fair trials .. oops, no .. like respecting religious minorities .. oh definitely not that one ... He admitted, however, that there were occasionally differences of opinion over the application of these principles. "Like for example, we kill our religious minorities when they step out of line, and you don't." Relations between the two countries were strained by the imprisonment in 2005 of opposition politician Ayman Nur and by US insistence on greater political openness in Egypt. Subsequently, however, Egyptian and international activists have noted a slackening of US rhetoric on democracy in Egypt, though the State Department’s Tuesday report was still highly critical. The report said ‘the government’s respect for human rights remained poor, and serious abuses continued in many areas,’ noting ‘torture and abuse of prisoners and detainees; poor conditions in prisons and detention centers; impunity; arbitrary arrest and detention.’

Link

Africa North

Doctors examine jailed, ailing Egyptian opposition leader

2006-10-08

CAIRO - A team of doctors examined ailing Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nur Saturday as a step toward a ruling on his condition that could see him freed from jail early, his wife said. “They examined him for more than two hours, saying they would make a determination within a few weeks after studying his entire medical file,” Gamila Ismail told AFP. She did not explain why they had told her it would take so long. It's a thick file. The 43-year-old failed presidential candidate was imprisoned on forgery charges a year ago and suffers from diabetes as well as heart and back problems. Other than freeing him, a recommendation could be made to transfer him to a hospital, or to leave him in prison. Press reports have suggested doctors who examine Nur could recommend his release through a presidential pardon around the time of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, later this month. Nur, a lawyer, mounted an unsuccessful electoral campaign against Mubarak, who was re-elected to a fifth term in September 2005. He was sentenced last December to five years in prison after being convicted of forging affidavits for the creation of his Ghad (Tomorrow) party. The United States has described his imprisonment as a ”miscarriage of justice.”

Link

Africa: North

Nur, on trial, asks for judges to step down

2005-09-27

The runner-up in Egypt's presidential election, Ayman Nur, asked for the judges in his trial to be replaced Monday, complaining they were conducting the proceedings in a way that humiliated him. "Prison was better than this trial," Nur told the three judges in the Cairo court where he is standing trial with five other defendants on charges of forging signatures to register his Al Ghad Party last year. Early this year Nur was detained for six weeks, a move that drew protests from the US State Department. A populist politician, he is regarded as the foremost critic of the Mubarak government inside Egypt's parliament. Monday was the first time Nur had been allowed to leave the caged dock and stand before the judges since the trial began in June. Wearing a dark blue suit and striped tie, he complained of the court's questioning whether he was the son of his father and the presence of state security officials who take notes of the trial. "Why are they taking notes?" he asked. "It's very humiliating," Nur said of the trial. "This is more than I can take." A lawyer himself, Nur said: "I have never before requested the removal of a panel of judges." But defence lawyers for two other accused told the judges they wanted them to remain. Presiding Judge Abdel Salam Gomaa adjourned the proceedings for nearly three hours, and then returned to adjourn the trial to Tuesday without comment. After the judges had left, Nur told the Associated Press he would not attend Tuesday's session, but go instead to parliament for the swearing-in of President Hosni Mubarak.

Link

Africa: North

Nine to challenge Mubarak in September poll

2005-08-12

Oh, the excitement! CAIRO - Egypt’s electoral commission announced on Thursday the final list of 10 candidates who are to run in the country’s first contested presidential poll next month, including veteran President Hosni Mubarak. There are no independents, women or members of Egypt’s Christian minority among the 10. 'cause they're not Egyptian enough ... There's nobody but Hosni who's liable to win, either... The most prominent runners include Mubarak, the head of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) who will seek a fifth six-year mandate, and his two main rivals: Ayman Nur from Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) center-right party and Numan Gumaa of the liberal Wafd party. Wonder what the election night map looks like? I assume Mubarek is green ... The candidates will be the first to run against a sitting president in Egypt’s history, in line with changes to the constitution approved by a referendum in May to allow multi-candidate presidential elections. Until now Egyptians had only been able to say yes or no to a single candidate appointed by parliament, which is dominated by Mubarak’s NDP. Convenient, the way that worked. If the public had ever said no, they'd have just had another election with the same candidate so they could reconsider... However, opposition parties have said the reform does not go far enough because it severely restricts independent candidates and overwhelmingly favors Mubarak’s party by requiring would-be independents to obtain 250 signatures of elected national or local officials. Around 100 independent candidates who submitted application forms were rejected because they failed to meet the signature requirement. Egypt’s political institutions are completely largely dominated by Mubarak’s NDP. In addition, twenty party leaders or officials were excluded by the commission owing to irregularities or disputes over the party’s leadership. Party leaders are exempt from the 250 signature requirement but all candidates must be over 40 years of age. Hosni's got that covered twice... Each candidate had to choose the symbol that will appear alongside their names on the ballots in a country where more than half the population is illiterate. For some reason the liberal guy has to have a six-pointed star next to his name ... Mubarak got the coveted moon crescent while Nur, who had wanted the same logo, had to settle for the palm tree. Gumaa opted for the torch. The other runners include a bunch of guys you've never heard of before and don't care about anyways. The campaign is to kick off on August 17 and end on September 4, three days before the vote. If necessary, a second round will be held on September 17.

Link

Africa: North

Egypt 'bans' opposition leader's paper

2005-03-09

CAIRO — Egyptian authorities yesterday blocked distribution of the first edition of detained opposition leader Ayman Nur's newspaper in which he announces his intention to run for president, his wife said. The weekly newspaper Al Ghad  (Tomorrow) "was printed but even as the copies were in the cars on their way to being distributed, they were recalled," Gamila Ismail told AFP. Nur was arrested in January on charges of "falsifying official documents" in a case that has raised concern among international human rights groups and within the US administration. His detention comes amid intense political upheaval in Egypt, and the 40-year-old lawyer has become for some a symbol of the movement for democratic reform. Nur's party lawyer Amir Salem said the paper had a deal with the government daily Al Ahram for printing and distribution "but the workers there were told last night (Monday) by state security people to stop the distribution. Meanwhile, The Egyptian opposition has expressed fears that the People's Assembly (parliament), which is dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party, would impose 'impossible conditions', making the proposed amendment of the country's constitution vague. In other news from Egypt, dead people were found buried in pryamids ... The People's Assembly's General Committee agreed in principle at its meeting yesterday, presided over by Ahmed Fathi Sorour on President Mubarak's request for amending Article 76 of the Constitution on the election of the President of the Republic through secret and direct ballot. It was agreed in principle that a presidential candidate should be approved by a specific percentage of the elected members of the people's Assembly and the Shura Council (620 members together) besides a percentage of the number of the elected members of the local councils at the level of Governorates. And the 'Al Wafd' opposition party has said that they should not nominate a rival runner for presidency without providing satisfactory conditions for free candidacy, appropriate polling and appropriate counting. President Mubarak has addressed Shura and People's Assembly (two houses of parliament) announcing a proposal for amending the constitution to allow for race of more than one runner to the post of President scheduled for next September.

Link

Africa: North

Egyptian opposition leaders assaulted

2005-02-26

A group of 22 men have broken up an Egyptian opposition party meeting in a Cairo hotel and assaulted at least three leading members of al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party, a party official said. Wail Nawara - assistant to jailed party leader Ayman Nur - said on Friday that he and Ihab al-Khuly, Nur's lawyer and the party assistant secretary-general, were attacked on Thursday evening. The Interior Ministry media office referred questions about the incident to the office of the public prosecutor, which is closed on Fridays. Nawara said he had received several warnings in the last two weeks from sources connected to Egyptian security. "Fifteen thugs in white training suits, accompanying seven men wearing plain civilian suits but armed with handguns, stormed the hall, interrupted the speaker and started insulting the panel," a statement from the party said. "When Nawara attempted to ask them to be seated ... about 10 of the thugs attacked him, threw chairs, glasses and cups at him then got closer and started to beat him on the head, chest and back. They smashed his spectacles and attempted to strangle him with his own tie, then scarf," it added. Police, who are posted at the door of every large Egyptian hotel, did not turn up to help for 60 minutes, Nawara claimed. Nur was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in late January and detained for questioning about allegations that his party submitted forged documents when it applied for legal recognition last year. He is on hunger strike. The liberal party says the allegations have been fabricated to punish Nur and his party for their vocal advocacy of constitutional change which would make it more difficult for President Husni Mubarak to stay in power.

Link

Africa: North

Mubarak using terror tactics, says activist

2005-02-13

WASHINGTON — A prominent Egyptian human rights activist has accused President Hosni Mubarak's government of perfecting the art of using scare tactics to repress opposition to his 23-year rule. The soon to be injured and silenced activist, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, writing a guest column in The Washington Post, said those who exercise power in Mubarak's government argue that radicals would win any unfettered election should he choose to allow true democracy in the country. Ibrahim, who spent more than a year in an Egyptian jail before being exonerated on charges related to his election-monitoring activities, said none of Mubarak's Western listeners ever demand answers to pertinent questions in the face of the president's scare tactics. "What, Mr Mubarak, have you done to preserve the popularity of non-religious forces in the country?" Ibrahim wrote. "What has your regime done with more than $100 billion in foreign aid and remittances from Egyptians working abroad? Why has Egypt's ranking during your rule steadily declined on every development index?" 'fessing up on the American aid would be interesting. Ibrahim said those failings feed popular discontent and contribute to the religious right's popularity. Meanwhile, scores of supporters of a detained opposition leader demonstrated outside the attorney-general's office in Cairo yesterday, demanding that he be freed immediately. They chanted slogans denouncing the incarceration of Ayman Nur, leader of the recently-established Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) party and submitted a memorandum to Attorney-General Maher Abul Wahid calling for Nur to be set free.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-10 More