Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 9 -15 November 2000 Issue No.507
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

	Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters

Man of the people

By Soha Abdelaty

Sitting in a local coffee shop, Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Sha'ban, one of 29 candidates running in Hada'iq Al-Qubba, greets another of the many residents who are calling on him to voice their problems.

Sha'ban, a member of the opposition Tagammu Party, is contesting the workers' seat, which he has held in the last two parliaments. His political affiliation, however, appears of little concern to the people who vote for him, because he has had a such a personal influence on so many of their lives.

"My father had a problem with the ministry of agriculture, but Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Sha'ban solved it. Although I am from outside the area, I came to him because I had heard so much about his willingness to lend both an ear and a hand," recalled Ali Kheir, who helps to set up the election committees on election day.

However, the contest for the professionals' seat is not so clear cut. An independent, Ibrahim Qubaisi, has gained some support, although not like that of Sha'ban and only among the people who are originally from his own Upper-Egyptian village.

One thing, though, is clear here as well: the National Democratic Party (NDP) candidates, Adam Hussein and Ahmed Ghoneim, are unpopular.

"I generally support the NDP, but this time around they have nominated candidates from outside our area, and so have no idea about our needs and concerns," said a mechanic.

Nor are the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood candidates, Abdel-Moneim Dahroug and Gad Mohamed, receiving much support. "Many people tend to associate them with terrorism and the killing of innocent people," a bakery owner remarked.

Unpaved roads, sewage problems, unlit and unpaved alleyways and a lack of regular rubbish collection are the main concerns of the inhabitants. Hada'iq Al-Qubba's municipal council, previously responsible for such services, was dissolved by court order after accusations of misconduct by its members. Given this situation, many of the residents believe that, due to the immensity of the problems facing the constituency, parliament itself should take over the running of the constituency. This obviously makes the choice of parliamentary representative all the more important.

© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved

	weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg