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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Election or selection
By Nadia Abou-El Magd
Residents of Al-Ma'had Al-Fani (Technical Institute) district woke up on Tuesday to find armoured police vehicles and shield-bearing policemen strewn in all directions. Banners proclaiming support for Minister of Economy Youssef Boutros Ghali could be seen everywhere. But the situation on the ground was different.
Youssef Boutros Ghali
Loudspeakers in Samaan Street echoed the voices of scores of people: "There is no God but God", "We don't want you, Boutros", "Islamiya, Islamiya" (Islamic, Islamic) and "Don't imprison us, Boutros Ghali is no good for us."
Despite these sectarian slogans, the demonstrators insisted they were not opposing Ghali, a Copt, because of his religion, but because of his policies. "We are not against him because he is a Copt, but because he is ruining our national economy. He is not from Shubra, he is rejected here, and he is imposed on us," Khadiga Abdel-Fattah, a professor at the faculty of medicine, Ain Shams University, told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Ghali, the National Democratic Party's candidate, was running against independent Medhat Abdel-Hadi, a doctor and the district's representative in the outgoing parliament. Abdel-Hadi told the Weekly that after his proxies and voters were denied entry to the polling stations, he and his supporters filed a complaint with the Al-Sahel police station.
A woman in the traditional peasant dress smashed stones into small pieces and gave them to children to hurl at police outside the polling station at Rod Al-Farag. Some policemen ran after the children with sticks. "I'm in a state of shock," the judge inside the polling station said.
"We don't want meals from Kentucky [Fried Chicken], we want honest elections like the president promised," said Hani Hassanein, 17, who was also throwing stones at police.
Alia Abdel-Hamid, a supporter of Ghali lugging his campaign posters in front of the Rod Al-Farag polling station, complained that Abdel-Hadi's supporters had insulted her.
Polling stations in the areas of Al-Barrad and Al-Khazendar in particular, Abdel-Hadi's strongholds, were sealed off with overturned cars and police in order to deny his supporters access to the stations.
And even after journalists were thoroughly searched to ensure they were not carrying cameras, they were still denied entrance.
At the polling station at the Mohamed Rifaat School, only those who had voting cards with Ghali's pictures on them were allowed in.
Angry voters who were forbidden entry said they were shoved and pushed away when they insisted on voting. "They pushed me and told me to go vote at home. They are scaring us in a terrible way," Amal Farouk, a woman wearing the niqab, told the Weekly.
Sanaa' El-Dib said she wanted to vote for Abdel-Hadi because he is a kind gynecologist who offers his medical services in his clinic every Friday for free, in addition to performing free operations.
Akram Essawi wondered: "If the minister wins, will he be accompanied by police every time he tours this area where he is being rejected?"
Another voter shouted, "If they want him so much, why didn't they appoint him instead of this farce?"
"I can't even go home," said Walid Salah. "How could I vote for someone who is the cause of all this terror?"
Related stories:
Rough riding in round three
The demise of politics?
See Elections 2000
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