المصريون يزيحون الفرعون

Egyptians Unseat the Pharaoh

For the first time in their history, the people of Egypt remove their ruler through peaceful protests that lasted for 18 days. Having used the term peaceful, around 350 died and more than 5,000 were injuredas police used excessive force including tear gas bombs, rubber bullets and even live ammunition at many instances.

In a short televised address to the nation, Omar Suleiman, who was vice president for only a week and a half, announced that President Mubarak would step down, handing his authority to the army. The army had earlier announced that it supports and guarantees the demands and aspirations of the Egyptian people.

Barely before the statement was over, Egyptians took to the streets, waving Egyptian flags, cars blowing their horns, protesters jumping up and down in Tahrir Square, celebrating the achievements of the "revolution." The Egyptian people have made it. They challenged a formidable police state and a vicious security apparatus and came out victorious.

What comes next is crucial. Egyptians hope that the army will reiterate its commitment to giving the Egyptian people what they fought for, a civil state and democracy. Egyptians have asserted their power and the nature of the relationship between the people and the state will change forever. We hope that the army will learn from Mubarak's mistakes. Mubarak was consistently one week behind with his offers to the people. We hope the military will give the people exactly what they want -- dignity and self-rule.

Egyptians hope that the army will form a transition government of national unity and/or a presidential council of civilians and military people with a limited mandate and a clear timetable. The purpose of the transition is to draft a new constitution, amend political laws, dismantle the oppressive regime's arms and install new democratic institutions, where free and fair elections will mark successful completion of the transition and the revolution.

This is a historical moment. Egyptians, empowered by technology, Facebook, Twitter and mobile communication ended the 30-year-long regime of Mubarak in just 18 days! There have been many sacrifices, human, economic and social. But from this ordeal, Egypt was delivered, reborn and will hopefully emerge as a healthy nation with an awakened spirit. 

First Published in HuffPost 

 

Follow Wael Nawara on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wnawara

31st Dynasty

Wael Nawara

Egyptian Writer

Posted: July 8, 2009 03:23 PM

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Gamal Mubarak for A Second Term?

President Mubarak's health came back in the spotlight when Mubarak's grandson died in May and Mubarak senior had to postpone his visit to the United States. In the very few public appearances which he has made since then, Mubarak looked tired and exhausted. After all, he is 81 years old and has been in power for the past 28 years. When President Obama visited Cairo to give his speech to the Islamic World last month, the American President made a stop at Mubarak's palace before the speech. Racing the stairs to greet his Egyptian host, the young American President made many Egyptians feel that it was time they had a generation change. Mubarak was waiting for his guest at the top of the stairs, hardly moving at all.

Within a few days, the Egyptian Parliament session was abruptly ended prematurely and rumors flew that the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) was about to nominate its candidate for the next Presidential Elections. The Presidential Election is not due till 2011, but perhaps Mubarak senior just felt that he had enough. Only a few months ago, Mubarak had vowed to stay in power until the "last heartbeat"! Mubarak assumed power in 1981 in the wake of President Sadat's tragic assassination at the hands of the very Islamist factions he empowered and used to combat opposing socialist and Nasserist political factions in the 70s. Sadat was shot during a Military Parade commemorating the 6th October (Yom Kippur) War. Speaking to a shocked Nation in '81, Mubarak vowed to stay only for two terms and work diligently to restore social peace.

Four terms or twenty four years later, Mubarak was grooming his son to run for Presidency in 2005 when an unexpected rival appeared on the scene. Ayman Nour, then a bright Parliamentarian, lawyer and a journalist, challenged Mubarak and his son. Gamal Mubarak had conveniently just turned 40, the legal age for obtaining a special driving license that would allow him to navigate his father's big machine. After being groomed for several years to take his father's driving seat, Mubarak had assumed that his son was ready. The NDP, however, ran a number of secret opinion polls and to the mentors' dismay, the approval ratings of Mubarak, Junior, were alarmingly low.

The Kifaya protest movement and El Ghad opposition party made a point to reject the idea of Mubarak bequeathing power to his son. Kifaya (the word in Egyptian language literally means "enough") also sought to end Mubarak's reign. Unhappy about this unplanned turn of events, Mubarak, who had already started to show signs of old age, having then recently fainted during a parliamentary speech, had to drag himself to run for a fifth term. Mubarak, the father, had to save the regime's 53-year grip on power and buy his son, Gamal, some time to improve the ratings.

Gamal Mubarak had been controlling things since around 2003. He installed his "own" government in 2004 with members of his own guards, the "Policies Committee", and later managed to oust old veterans such as Kamal El Shazly who had been instrumental to his father, for decades, in controlling the Parliament. Gamal placed his own men, such as Ahmed Ezz, in the seats of power and started to beat a path to Washington DC in "official" State visits although he had no formal official position. His visits were designed to convince the Americans that he represented their only hope for Egypt to continue to honor its peace commitments with Israel. That only he and his men can guarantee free market economy policies in Egypt and that the regime which his father controlled is the only alternative to Muslims Brothers' reaching power.

In July 2004, a new cabinet was appointed, headed by success-oriented Ahmed Nazhif, who as a minister of a newly created Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in October 1999, managed to achieve a quantum leap in Egypt's communication infrastructure and digital readiness. Nazhif's cabinet included several members of Gamal's NDP Policies Committee. Nazhif managed to implement long-awaited liberal economic reforms. Lowering income and business tax to a flat 20% as well as gradual reduction of custom tariffs stimulated economic growth. GDP growth however did not reach the majority of Egyptians. The lucky few who benefited from growth placed pressure on the market, such that prices of basic commodities soared beyond the reach of millions of Egyptians whose incomes remained stagnant at best. During the past three years, Egypt witnessed 3000-5000 protests related to low wages, high prices and deteriorating living standards.

As economic liberalization was not matched by political reform, accountability or governance, corruption reached new heights as many members of the NDP Policies Committee reaped the rewards for their loyalty to Mubarak Junior. One member who is accused of running a monopolistic steel conglomerate, which he had built by acquiring a state-owned steel manufacturer allegedly at a fraction of its real value, became responsible for drafting the anti-monopoly law, as head of the parliamentary committee. Rachid, Minister of Trade and Industry, wanted the law to encourage executives or business owners involved in monopolistic practices to come forward and report foul play in exchange for immunity. The steel tycoon insisted that snitches must also be punished if they decided to blow the whistle! The tycoon, who has been bank-rolling the NDP for the past few years won. On that sad day, Rachid had to sit out the session in absentia. Ahmed Nazhif and his cabinet had to learn their limitations. They were expected to promote growth and deliver economic development without touching the turfs of the corrupt tycoons surrounding Gamal Mubarak or Mubarak himself. The technocrats who made up that cabinet soon realized that real reform was way above their heads.

Another prominent member of the Policies Committee made billions of pounds buying millions of meters of state-owned land at extremely low prices, and erecting massive real-estate development projects on these lands -- selling each home for millions of pounds. When this real-estate tycoon was accused of conspiring to have his ex-wife, a singer, murdered in Dubai, a media blackout was imposed for over a month on the investigation and a wild PR campaign was launched in the state-owned media to portray the suspected tycoon as a philanthropist, a devoted family man and a patriot! Rumors then came out that the Rulers of Dubai and UAE had to intervene personally with Mubarak to make sure that a serious investigation took place. Only then was the NDP PC tycoon indicted and brought to trial.

These and many other counts of corruption and abuse of power have sadly managed to give "liberal" policies a bad name amongst Egyptians who now think that Liberalism is equal to nepotism; where state-owned lands are siphoned into the hands of the ruling elites who manipulate the political scene to advance their lucrative monopolies. Privatization has come to mean state-owned assets being sold at a fraction of their value to proteges of the regime and those willing to share dividends and show their loyalty.

Gamal Mubarak always visits Washington accompanied by those businessmen who stand as the sole beneficiaries of the regime's survival. Well-dressed and fluent in English, they go a long way in convincing their hosts of just how smart and popular Gamal Mubarak is. Some American officials are starting to believe that myth. But no one seems to ask the obvious question. After five years in office, virtually sub-ruling Egypt while his father provided political cover, does Gamal Mubarak qualify for a second term? Put in a different way, after 30 years of father-and-son ruling, does the Mubarak Dynasty qualify for a sixth term?

The Writer is a Co-founder of El Ghad Opposition Party

To the Last Heart-Beat

هو لسه فيه قادمة؟

نتيجة رائعة:

مبارك يحصل على

39%

نسبة تأييد في صفحته الخاصة

على الفيسبوك لانتخابه لولاية قادمة

في صفحة المؤيدين الخاصة به على الفيسبوك Fan Page، حصل الرئيس مبارك على 39% من تأييد المشاركين في استفتاء حول انتخابه لولاية قادمة، بينما بلغت نسبة المعارضين 53% ونسبة غير المتأكدين حوالي 7%. والجدير بالذكر أن عدد الأعضاء في صفحة أنصار الرئيس يبلغ 1286 مؤيداً، بالمقارنة بحوالي 4626 مؤيد لعمرو موسى وزير الخارجية المصري الأسبق والأمين العام لجامعة الدول العربية حالياً، و817 مؤيد لأيمن نور الذي حصل على المركز الثاني في أول انتخابات رئاسية في مصر والتي أجريت عام 2005، وسجن بعدها نور إلى أن أفرج عنه في فبراير 2009. أما الملك عبد الله، عاهل الأردن فله العديد من صفحات الأنصار على الفيسبوك، تبلغ العضوية في أكبرها أكثر من 23 ألف مؤيد. أما باراك أوباما فيبلغ عدد أنصاره أكثر من 6 مليون مؤيد. وبمقارنة الساسة بالفنانين في المنطقة العربية، تأتي النتيجة لصالح الفنانين بنسبة ضخمة، فعلى سبيل المثال يبلغ عدد أعضاء أكبر صفحات نانسي عجرم على الفيسبوك 151 ألف معجب، بينما يبلغ نفس العدد 115 ألف معجب بالنسبة لعمرو دياب.

وجاء السؤال على صفحة الرئيس مبارك كالتالي: "هل تنتخب الرئيس لفترة قادمة؟"، وجاءت تعليقات الفيسبوكرز على الاستفتاء متباينة:

· "انا حاسه ان احنا هانموت وهو هايفضل عايش وساعتها هايستورد شعب يطلع عينه برضه".
· "هاهاها .. حلوة .. هو لسة في مرة قادمة فعلاً؟ ... ده يبقى حظ ... "
· انا اتولدت وهو رئيس يارب مش عايز أموت وهو رئيس
· على ما اعتقد ان الجيل ده كله اتولد وهو رئيس وامنيه حياته انه يبعد بقى
· معرفش ليه إفتكرت مشهد فى مسرحية والراجل المهكع إياه بيقول عن نفسه فى السبعين ربيعاً،وحط عليهم عشرة،وكمان فترة قادمة،ومعانا سبعة!!هههههههه
· هو لسة فيه قادمة صحيح
· انا شفته اكتر من ما شفت ابويا الله يرحمه
· المشكلة فى انه لسه شايف نفسه يصلح بعد كل ده مش قادر يواجه نفسه بالحقيقة
· المشكلة الاكبر انه معتقد ان الشعب بيحبه ومش عايز يسيبه
· سر التحنيط هو السبب
· استنى ما تعلنش النتائج - انا لسة ما قلتش كلمتى
· هى جات في جمل، الأختام فى إيدنا والإرقام فى إيدنا،الفترة القادمة بـ 99% ،محدش يزعل الراجل على الأواخر


بينما كانت التعليقات على صفحة الرئيس أكثر تعاطفاً:

· آه والله اجمد رئيس و انشاء الله تستمر فى اللى انت مخطط له وهنينتخبك تانى
· والله العظيم أحسن رئيس جمهورية في العالم كله ...ربنا يخليك لينا
· مش كتير اللي حاسيس بيك ....بس أن شاء الله الجنة ليك
· والله مفيش بنى ادم كامل، ويكفى الرئيس الاداءالمتميز على المستوى الدولى، فرايى المشاكل الداخليه (اللى جوه مصر)، بسبب سوء البطانه المحيطه به، وموضوع التوريث ده طبع فى كل انسان مين مبيحبش انه يقعد ابنه فى مكانه بعده، اذا كان حاسس انه مكان كويس
· رجعلنا مصر اللى بنحبها يا ريس ...عاوزينها زى زمان جميلة وقوية وذكية وتقطع رقبة اى حد يحاول يتجرأ علينا او عليها


وقد تولى مبارك الحكم في 14 أكتوبر 1981، أي منذ حوالي 28 عاماً، خلفاً للرئيس السادات، وهو الآن في النصف الثاني من الولاية الخامسة. والجدير بالذكر أن الدستور المصري كان يسمح بتولي الرئيس الولاية بحد أقصى فترتين بإجمالي 12 عاماً، إلى أن جاء اقتراح بتعديل من مجلس الشعب على أن يصبح منطوق المادة "مدد أخرى" بدلاً من "مدة أخرى"، وطرح هذا الاقتراح في استفتاء على الشعب مع مجموعة أخرى من المواد ضمنها "أن تصبح الشريعة الإسلامية هي المصدر الرئيسي للتشريع"، ولكن اغتيال السادات على أيدي الجماعات الإسلامية (!) حال بينه وبين الاستفادة من هذا التعديل، ليستفيد به نائبه وخليفته مبارك، الذي يعد واحد من أطول رؤساء العالم مكوثاً في الحكم يسبقه في هذا كاسترو ومعمر القذافي.

وهناك أجيال متعددة ولدت ونشأت في أثناء حكم مبارك، بل أن هناك حوالي 60% من المصريين لم يعاصروا أي رئيس آخر لمصر بما يفسر التعليقات. ورغم أن مبارك سيبلغ من العمر 81 عاماً خلال أسابيع وتحديداً يوم 4 مايو القادم إلا أنه لم يقم للآن بتعيين نائب له، بل صرح بأنه سوف يظل في كرسي الحكم حتى آخر نفس، أو "ما ظل القلب ينبض"، على حد تعبيره في خطاب أمام مجلس الشعب وسط تصفيق الأعضاء الموقرين وابتهاجهم بهذه البشارة السارة والأنباء السعيدة، التي تعني استمرار النخبة الحاكمة المرفوضة من الشعب في مقاعدها، حيث يتمتع الحزب الوطني الحاكم الذي يرأسه مبارك بأغلبية ساحقة في المجلس، رغم أنه لم يحصل في الانتخابات الماضية سوى على 32% من اصوات الناخبين، بينما لم تتجاوز نسبة الناخبين 23% ، من إجمالي المقيدين في الجداول الانتخابية، أي أن الحزب الوطني "الديمقراطي" الحاكم يجلس في مقاعد الحكم بتأييد حوالي 7.34% فقط من الناخبين بفرض عدم وجود تزوير أو تجاوزات أخرى.

وبالتالي فإن مستوى هذا التأييد لانتخاب مبارك لفترة قادمة (39%) يعد في أفضل الأحوال نسبة عالية جداً، وقد يكون هذا لأسباب متعددة، أهمها أن الصفحة التي تستضيف الاستفتاء هي مخصصة لمناصري مبارك نفسه. ومع هذا فيجب أن نقر بأن نتيجة التصويت على الإنترنت وعلى الفيسبوك قد لا تعبر بدقة عن آراء المصريين، حيث لا يزيد عدد أعضاء الفيسبوك عن حوالي مليون مصري من أصل ما يزيد عن 50 مليون مصري في سن الانتخاب.

والجدير بالذكر أن أحد استطلاعات الرأي على الإنترنت على موقع http://weekite.blogspot.com/ كان قد أجري بعد حريق مجلس الشورى للتعرف على أسباب ردود أفعال المصريين تجاه الحريق المشاعر، جاءت نتيجته أن 89% من المشاركين في الاستطلاع أكدوا أن البرلمان لا يعبر أبداً عن المصريين، بينما قال 7% أن البرلمان يعبر عنهم أحياناً. و بالمقارنة بنسبة رفض المصريين لممثليهم من البرلمانيين والتي بلغت 89% كما أسلفنا، ونسبة التأييد التي حصل عليها الرئيس مبارك، نقول أن الرئيس مبارك يستحق التهنئة على هذه النتيجة الرائعة.

للدخول على موقع الاستفتاء قبل إزالته أو تغير النتيجة

http://www.facebook.com/pages/-/27537274055#/pages/-/27537274055?v=wall&viewas=691420567

صور الشاشة التي توضح نتيجة الاستفتاء تم التقاطها يوم 18 إبريل 2009 بين الساعة 12 ظهراً والساعة 3م بتوقيت القاهرة.

See the page and the poll result before they are removed. Snap-shot taken on April 18th 2009, at noon, Cairo Local Time.

Terms of Endearment

Mubarak Gets Only 39%

Support on His Own

Facebook Fan Page

By:

Wael Nawara

On his own Facebook fan page, only 39% of those who participated in a poll that is hosted on the same page said they would vote for Mubarak for another term (a 6th Term), while 52% said they would not elect him and 7% were undecided. The fan page has only about 1,284 fans. To put this in perspective, Amr Mousa, Egyptian ex-Foreign Minister, currently serving as Secretary General for the Arab League, has 4,626 fans, Ayman Nour who came second in 2005 Egyptian Presidential Elections and who has just been released from jail, has 817 fans on his page, King Abdullah of Jordan has over 23 thousand fans while Barack Obama has over 6 million fans. Nancy Ajram, a Lebonese female Singer has over 151 thousand fans and Amr Diab, an Egyptian male singer has 115 thousand fans.

The poll on Mubarak's fan page asked this question: “Will you vote for President Honsi Mubarak for another Term?”. Seeing results of the poll, Egyptian Facebookers comments were hilarious. Someone said, "I was born and he (Mubarak) is a president, I just have one wish. On the day of my death, I hope he is not a president". Another said, “Is there still in the bag yet another term?”. Mubarak has been in office for the past 28 years, since 1981. About 60% of Egyptians have never known another President. Mubarak, who is 81 years old, has recently “vowed” to stay in office as long as he breathes! “As long as my heart beats, I will stay”, were his very words in an address to the Egyptian People's Assembly, widely dominated by members of his ruling party the NDP. The honorable members applauded this announcement of their boss who is "promising" to stay as a president till the very last pulse as if it was a precious gift. Mubarak celebrates his 81st birthday on the coming 4th of May.

Youth of the 6th April movement vowed to give him a host of birthday gifts this year. Last year, 6th April youth called for a general strike on 4th May 2008 to commemorate Mubarak’s 80th Birthday and protest sky-rocketing prices and high rates of inflation. Mubarak made a pre-emptive strike by announcing a 30% increase in wages to curb the strike. Because of this and other factors, the 4th May 2008 strike was not as successful as the 6th 2008 April strike which was also a novelty. The sequel strikes, including that on 6th April 2009, which was declared as “Day of Rage”, never seemed to match the original strike in intensity. The fact that the government had to increase the wages and respond to many of the strikers’ demands is surely seen as a sign of success. The success of 6th April strike of 2008 is also seen as a milestone and a sign of change to come, that a few individuals using viral communication and social utility tools like the Facebook can break the state-owned media blackout, amass great popular support and exert critical political pressure on authoritarian regimes.


The level of support for Mubarak’s next term (39%) is probably higher than the real level of support, since the Poll is hosted on Mubarak’s own fan page. There are about one million Egyptians using Facebook out of about 10 millions who have “some” access to the Internet one way or another. In a recent online poll conducted on this blog, 89% of participants thought that the “People’s Assembly” does not truly represent them as Egyptians. So, I would say congratulations are in order for the President.

See the page and the poll result before they are removed. Snap-shot taken on April 18th 2009, at noon, Cairo Local Time:


http://www.facebook.com/pages/-/27537274055#/pages/-/27537274055?v=wall&viewas=691420567

Feeling Lonely Now?

مشرف استقال

وقبلها كاسترو

يا ترى حاسس بإيه دلوقتي؟

(CNN) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday after weeks of pressure to relinquish power. ....

He was expected to turn in his resignation to parliament Monday. Musharraf quit as the ruling coalition was taking steps to impeach him. Local media reports said he had been granted "safe passage" out of the country.

كل أصدقائك خانوك يا ريتشارد ...

كاسترو استقال ... مشرف استقال ... الأسد مات ... حسين مات ... الحسن مات ... صدام اتعدم ... تشاوشيسكو برده اتعدم ... ما فاضلشي غير القذافي اللي مونسك ...

فاكر سنة 81 لما مسكت الحكم؟

ساعتها حلفت إيمانات مغلظة انك مش حتقعد أكتر من مدتين ... يالله ... يعني هو حد حيفتكر إنت قولت إيه سنة 81، ما نت ياما قولت وقلت وبتقول ... يا راجل ... قول يا باسط ...

وبعدين أكيد إنت كان قصدك نقطتين ... يعني ممكن سنتين ... وممكن عقدين ... وممكن قرنين ... ربنا يديلنا طولة العمر جنبك يا بو علاء ...

فاكر الدنيا كان شكلها إيه سنة 81؟

ياه ... احنا فين وسنة 81 فين ...

كان ريجان رئيس أمريكا ...

وكان تقريباً بريجينيف في السلطة في الاتحاد السوفييتي؟ والله مانا فاكر ... بس أكيد كان فيه دولة اسمها الاتحاد السوفييتي ... دلوقتي اتفكت وبقى فيه روسيا وجورجيا وأوكرانيا ...

يا أخي انت شفت كتير وقليل برده ..

الجنيه في مصر كان يساوي تقريباً دولار ...

وكان سندوتش الفول بحوالي 4 صاغ ... آه ... فاكر العملة اللي كان اسمها قرش صاغ ... وكان القرش صاغ تقريباً واحد على ميه من الجنيه ... عارف الجنيه طبعاً ؟ اللي بيشتري سندوتش فول دلوقتي؟

ياه ... زمن ...

طيب ... يا ترى حاسس بإيه وكل اصحابك مشيوا من الحكم أو ماتوا ...

ممكن تتصاحب على ناس تانيين مثلاً؟ واهم بردوا يسلوك ...

لأ عندك حق ... هيه عيلت ...

طيب ... لو انت استقلت دلوقتي ... حيحصل إيه؟

يا خبر ... ما عندناش أحزاب ... ولا سياسة ولا سياسيين ... ما عندناش ملعب سياسي ... ولا حتى شارع سياسي فيه اجوان معمولة من قوالب الطوب ...

ما عندناش حاجة خالص ...

يعني والحمد لله لو انت اتكلت حتبقى سايب البلد ما فيهاش أي مؤسسة سياسية توحد ربنا ممكن تخلينا نطمئن على انتقال السلطة بصورة سلمية ...

عظيم؟ عظيم إيه يا بو علاء ... دي والعياذ بالله تبقى مصيبة؟ ... نفرض إنك يعني جرالك حاجة ... ؟ ما هو انت برده عندك تمانين سنة وزيادة ... نعمل إيه ان شاء الله؟

فيه ترتيبات؟ طيب ما هي الإشاعات كتير عن الترتيبات دي ...

إيه ما سمعتش الإشاعات؟

أهو ... ناس تقولك جمال ييجي ... وناس تقولك عمر سليمان ييجي ... وناس تقولك أحمد عز راكب ... وناس تقولك مهدي عاكف ...

ألا صحيح ... هو مين اللي جاي؟ سايق عليك سيدك النبي تقوللي؟

برده مش عايز تقول؟

طيب وآخرة الإشاعات دي إيه ؟ أكيد حيكون فيه صراعات ... ما دام ما فيش نظام ولا عملية سياسية ليها إجراءات واضحة، لازم حيكون فيه خناقة ... من ورا الكواليس ... من قدام الكواليس ... أهو ... البلد وحظها ...

يعني باختصار ... البلد مستقبلها على كف عفريت ...

يعجبك الكلام ده؟

دا كلام يرضي ربنا يا راجل؟

طيب حتجاوب الملاك المسئول وتقوله إيه؟

حتفسر ازاي إن بلد فيها خمسة وسبعين مليون بني آدم ... وما فيهاش نظام لتداول السلطة؟

يا نهار اسود ... بتقول إيه؟ ما فكرتش لسه في اليوم ده؟

أمال حتفكر فيه إمتى؟