If anyone deserves to run in the presidential elections against President Mubarak , he is Dr. Siyad Badawy.
Mohamed Ali Ibrahim said once in the Al Gomhouria and before you think that Ibrahim is trying to ridicule Dr. ElBaradei and Ayman Nour as he always does and glorifies his president, you must re-read what is the between words.
What is the between words of that silly quote is that the regime is giving and supporting the Wafd party whether directly and indirectly in order to beautify itself and to prove to the world that we really have democratic partisan life. Mubarak or his son needs a strong opponent in the next presidential elections , a strong opponent that will play according to their rules ,not to the fair rules because they know that fair play will make them lose.
Since the victory of Egyptian businessman and media mogul Siyad Badawy in the internal elections over his opponent Mahmoud Abaza and the buzz that followed it in the official media , it was too obvious that the regime was giving its blessing to the party.
The regime is trying to create a competitor for the NFC and Dr. ElBaradei , to reinforce its tamed opposition parties so they can distract the public from ElBaradei campaign.
I will not comment on all those public figures that joined the Wafd party because I know that many of them wish to see the old glory of Wafd that Egyptians put a lot of hope on after its revival in late 1970s but I will comment on these statements from its current popular leadership that proved my theory.
In a whole page in al Ahram newspaper , Dr. Siyad Badawy stated in a media roundtable discussion held by the famous official newspaper that he refused to meet U.S Ambassador Margret Scooby at the door of the Wafd HQ insisting to meet her at the meeting hall there to prove her that they are equal !! Of course Badawy claimed that he had taught a historical lesson to Scooby about Egyptian modern politics and that we do not need to be taught democracy or import it from abroad ; Al Ahram's Ahmed Moussa loved that part of course because it came after the news of that meeting between ElBaradei and the American Ambassador.
Badawy moved to Muslim brotherhood insisting that there was no way that they reach in to deal just like the NDP , no deals with the regime or the NDP to secure chairs in the parliament !! I am afraid the man is disrespecting our minds , this is what can be said.
Dr. Siyad Badawy's channels used to attack Dr. ElBaradei and at the same glorify Gamal Mubarak , I can't forget the exclusive moments they aired during the final of the CAN 2010 when Gamal Mubarak was dancing and screaming that our Egyptian team was fine because the president said so !!
Dr. Badawy claims that his TV network is neutral and that it is enough that he did not appear for once at any of his channels during his party's elections or after it , it is true that he did not use his network to promote his party but it is true that his network is more biased to the NDP than for instance Dream Channels which are owned by NDP member Ahmed Bahget !!!
Already I do not know why it is bad or immoral for Badawy if he uses his network to promote his party , Lebanon has got partisan TV channels since the 1970s for God sake !!
Badawy stated that his party plan in the next parliamentary session if they win will be introducing a draft for new law that will allow more freedom to parties in Egypt "parties other than the NDP " !! I do not know if he is fooling himself or what ;the NDP will not let this law be more than a draft. He also stated that the party will have the first shadow cabinet in Egypt next month , I hope the party does it for real and not for publicity stunt
Again I hope that I am wrong and Dr. Siyad Badawy is not that dangerous man who plays a game with the regime to secure bunch of chairs in fake parliament , I hope that I am wrong in my analysis and Dr. Badawy does not listen to the regime and joins the NFC and Dr. ElBaradei in boycotting the elections in order to force the regime in to accepting our conditions peacefully.
I totally agree with your analysis. I can't say that he has a deal with the regime but I am sure of is that he's being used by the regime. And he said it more than once that the Wafd will have a candidate in the presidential election which is all what the NDP needs to present to the world an election that looks likes fair and democratic.
ReplyDeleteAlso in his interview with Al Ahram that you mentioned, he said this:
إن الأهرام ليست جريدة حكومية, بل هي جريدة قومية محترمة جدا وتحظي بمصداقية لدي الرأي العام
This sentence says a lot on what kind of person he is..
i like ur analysis and i like ur simple way of explaining ur thoughts .. but i didn't understand NFC and NDP , What do they mean? thnx
ReplyDelete@heba, NDP is the ruling National Democratic Party. Mubarak's party. NFC stands for "National Front for Change" which is not an official name or party. It's what Zeinobia calls ElBaradei's movement.
ReplyDelete