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Grace period

DURING their talks in Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan discussed the issue of Egyptian workers who had been exposed to attacks by security forces in Jordan.

Presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said that the "problems" Egyptian workers were facing in Jordan were a result of "new rules Jordan had applied on all workers regardless of their nationality". Mubarak had charged Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif with resolving the issue, Awad said, and as a result "the workers have been given a six-months grace period to amend their situation."

Earlier, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit had sent a message to his Jordanian counterpart Farouk Al- Qasrawi on the need to preserve the dignity and rights of Egyptians in Jordan.

At the time, in Amman, the official spokesman for the Jordanian general security directorate said that the authorities had evacuated 1,300 Egyptian workers for residency and work permit-related violations, as part of a stringent new foreign labour reorganisation campaign.

Reviving peace talks

ON 19 JUNE, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit will arrive in Israel for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The top diplomat's trip is an attempt to contain the deteriorating state of the Middle East peace process.

That process has been threatened by a series of Israeli acts of aggression including the recent Israeli assassination of top resistance leader Mraweh Khaled Kamil last week. Abul-Gheit's visit comes less than two months after Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's visit to Sharm El-Sheikh.

In Israel, Abul-Gheit will urge the Israeli side not to delay its withdrawal from Gaza currently scheduled for August.

Evidence of thuggery

ON WEDNESDAY, Abdel-Halim Qandil, the spokesman of the Kifaya movement, and AP reporter Sarah El-Deeb submitted their statements to the General Prosecutor's office on the violent incidents that occurred during the 25 May referendum on the amending of the constitutional article concerning presidential elections, reports Sara Abou Bakr.

Qandil said the complaints needed to receive "high- level" attention. "Whether or not the investigations will end with charges being made against suspects remains to be seen."

He said they had submitted a plethora of tapes, photos and testimonies proving that thugs claiming to be supporters of the ruling National Democratic Party beat Kifaya protesters -- going as far as sexually molesting female protesters and journalists -- in clear view of the police.

Mohsen El-Bahnasy, El-Deeb's lawyer and a member of the Legal Aid Association for Human Rights, said El-Deeb's testimony included statements that the pro-NDP thugs groped her body and tried to steal her mobile phone. She also witnessed another female who was there being molested. She also testified that the police forces that were present did not try to stop any of the violations from occurring. El-Bahnasy said the complainants were asking for compensation from Interior Minister Habib El-Adly and NDP Secretary- General Safwat El-Sherif.

Attending the questioning and making statements of their own were Yehia Qallash and Gamal Fahmy of the Press Syndicate council. "We don't know whether the prosecution will move or not," Fahmy said, " but we did what we had to do."

The Kifaya movement has said that the ball is now in the General Prosecutor's court. "Although we have utmost faith in the judicial system in Egypt, we will be forced to pursue the matter in an international criminal court if no action is taken to punish the violators," Qandil said.

Environmental report

THE MINISTRY of environment has, in an unprecedented move, recently issued a report dealing with the state of the environment in Egypt. According to the report, the year 2004 witnessed a noticeable improvement in air quality, especially when compared to that of 1999.

However, a slight increase in the carbon dioxide concentrations caused by vehicles' wastes was noticed in crowded areas. The report also stated that the number of environment-friendly establishments had reached 125 by January 2004, noting that plans are afoot to customise the conditions of another 57 establishments to meet environmental standards. The report also referred to a future five-year plan for transferring metal factories and other enterprises causing pollution to certain areas in the Qalyubia and Giza governorates.

Sadat for president

TALAAT El-Sadat, Member of Parliament and nephew of late President Anwar El-Sadat, announced his intention of running in the coming presidential elections.

Sadat asserted that his electoral programme will be a continuation of his uncle's achievements, referring to late President Sadat.

Sadat's nomination was meant to give a boost to President Hosni Mubarak's initiative prompting the amendment of Article 76 of the constitution in a way which unprecedentedly allows for multi-candidate presidential elections.

However, Sadat urged the necessity of giving presidential candidates guarantees ensuring equality between them and preventing governmental interference in the electoral process.

Attacking the leaders

THE LEFTIST Tagammu Party decided in a sudden move to stop all kinds of dealing with the Popular Movement for Change Kifaya.

A statement issued by the party's media office explained that the decision was made by Tagammu Secretary-General Hussein Abdel-Razeq, in response to the numerous attacks launched by Kifaya members on the Tagammu's honorary leader Khaled Mohieddin and its chairman Rifaat El-Said.

The statement further urged all party members in the various governorates to abide by Abdel-Razeq's decision.

Prisoners strike

DUE TO maltreatment and the lack of health care, nearly 300 prisoners at Wadi Al-Natroun Prison continued the hunger strike which they staged on 26 of May, a statement issued by the Human Rights Organisation for the Assistance of Prisoners said, adding that 60 of the protesters were removed to hospitals.

The organisation's lawyer visited the prison and made sure that the information he received was correct.

According to the statement, prison officials did not inform the general prosecution of the hunger strike.

The statement mentioned that several court rulings ordering the release of some prisoners were passed, yet none were implemented.