Egyptian press: Oven hot

The government's mishandling of three critical issues incurred censure, writes Mohamed El-Sayed

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The disciplinary trial of two judges who exposed cases of rigging during last year's parliamentary elections, political activist Ayman Nour's appeal over his five-year jail sentence that was turned down; and Gamal Mubarak's secret visit to Washington -- all drew scathing criticism from a good many writers who argued that the government had failed to read the political situation correctly.

"One of the signs of the end of a regime is that it fails to read the political scene," wrote Abdallah El-Sennawi in the Nasserist Party mouthpiece Al-Arabi. "The regime is absorbed in illusions that 'the iron grip policy' will maintain its legality. The way the government handled the judges issue shows the extent of deterioration in the state administration, a matter that portends its disintegration," El-Sennawi added.

Nevertheless, he said there had been significant progress towards democratic change in the country in the past few weeks. "When people challenge the Interior Ministry's warnings against participating in demonstrations, and when hundreds take to the streets [in solidarity with the judges] without fear of detention... then there are signs of imminent democratic change."

Wael El-Ibrashi wrote in weekly Sawt Al-Umma that the judges emerged victorious in a battle of wills with the government. "In its battle with the judges, the regime has been exposed, dealt a humiliating defeat and is trembling with fear. It even used excessive force in crushing demonstrators. By bringing the two judges, Bastawisi and Ahmed Mekki, before a disciplinary court, the regime [mistakenly] thought it will deter other judges from demanding reform."

One of the regime's big losses in its conflict with the judges, El-Ibrashi argued, was that the repressive means it used against those who demonstrated in solidarity with the judges "was exposed by international media, incurring international condemnation starting from the White House to the European parliament, as well as human rights organisations and Amnesty International."

The regime's pain is the opposition forces' gain, according to El-Ibrashi. "Other segments of society have now realised that if they follow in the judges footsteps... they will impose reform demands on the regime. If they follow suit, this repressive regime will eventually collapse."

Nour's case received much attention. Since the Court of Appeal refused to hear his case, effectively meaning Nour, leader of the opposition party Al-Ghad, will serve five years for forging signatures on petitions to form his party in 2004, many writers argued he has been permanently eliminated from the political map. Ibrahim Eissa, however, said the verdict could be a turning point. "The final verdict on Ayman Nour could be an end to his political future but it could also be the best start for him. It could also take his wife, Gamila Ismail, to amazing political horizons," Eissa wrote in Sawt Al-Umma.

While most columnists lamented the demise of Nour's political life, the press was awash with harsh critique of Gamal Mubarak's gradual rise to power. Several writers voiced fears over the ever growing role played by the National Democratic Party's assistant secretary-general and head of its influential Policies Committee in Egyptian political life. His secret visit to Washington last week [exposed by an Arab journalist who happened to see Gamal in the White House] was strongly criticised. "[Gamal] Mubarak's position in the NDP does not qualify him to pay such a visit or conduct negotiations or talks on such a [high] level," wrote Hussein Abdel-Razeq in Al-Arabi.

Salama Ahmed Salama was quoted in Al-Arabi as saying, "The short visit might have aimed at improving the regime's image tarnished by the recent detention of demonstrators who support the judges. The government should have sent an official to Washington for such a mission. Sending [Gamal] Mubarak raises fears over the controversial issue of the inheritance of power."

In the same paper, Hassan Nafaa asked, "why did Gamal go to Washington alone, without the company of any NDP official?" For sure, Nafaa said, he went to meet American officials on his father's behalf. "This means that the inheritance process has entered a new stage. The negotiations, most probably, focussed on reaching a deal with US officials [to agree on the inheritance of the presidency]. But I don't know what price Mubarak will pay for concluding this deal."

Khaled Montasser took a break from political events, pondering the sky-high fees of enrolling children in private schools. A private school ad grabbed Montasser's attention. "How can a primary school fee hit LE40,000 a year in a country in which more than half its population lives below the poverty line," Montasser wondered in Al-Arabi.