#Egyelections : Egyptian Expats Vote “Round 1”

And Presidential Elections Committee “PEC” has declared the results of the presidential elections of the Egyptian expats in 165 countries around the globe tonight except Saudi Arabia.

The presidential campaigns of Abu El Fotouh and Khaled Ali have presented petitions to PEC after refusing complains and reports about possible election fraud in favor of MB’s Mohamed Morsi. There are reports that MB members bought and bribed poor Egyptian expats from workers to get their vote for Morsi.

Already from what I understood the results of the Mail vote have been cancelled.

I have received some of the reports indeed especially concerning the Mail vote.

Now here are the results of the elections in 166 countries around the globe organized in a fine table by our dear Hany Ramsy whom I do not know what I can do without his help , may God bless him for real.

According to the data and numbers announced the lucky ones in this round are : Mohmaed Morsi “107,106 votes including Saudi Arabia” , Abu El Fotouh “82,397 votes”, Hamdeen Sabbahi “46,370 votes” , Amr Moussa “40,318 votes and Ahmed Shafik got “ 22,787 votes”.

Morsi got lots of votes in Gulf without doubt especially in Saudi Arabia where the number of voters is equal to the rest of the Egyptian expat voters around the globe. Abu El Fotouh and Morsi are leading the elections abroad as well Hamdeen Sabbahi.

Wait for in depth early morning analysis , it is 24 hours before our real presidential elections ya People.

Can we trust these polls ?

Sometimes polls play important role in leading the opinion in the society than in reflecting the opinion in the society , this role is often noticed in time of the elections some undecided voters consider the polls a good source to choose the winning horse to bet on in the elections.

In the past two week the polls of Ahram center for strategic and political studies and Al Masry Al Youm's Baseera centre  showed a rise Ahmed Shafik, Mohamed Mursi and Hamdeen Sabbahi and a decline for both Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Abu El Fotouh despite Moussa was leading the polls.
According to Ahram Center  the leading candidates in the latest poll conducted from May 14th to 17th were : Moussa "31.7%" {going down} , Shafik "22.6%" {going up} , Mohamed Morsi "14.8%" {going up} , Abu El Fotouh "14.6%" {going down} and Sabbahi "11.7%" {going up}.
According to Baseera Center conducted in the same period : Ahmed Shafik "19.35%" , Amr Moussa "14.6%" , Abu El Fotouh "12.4%" , Sabbhi "9.5%" and Morsi "9%".
Personally I believe the voting bloc was going to vote to Omar Sulieman has gone to Shafik where us the conservative part of Abu Ismail's voting bloc has gone to Mursi as he is more conservative than Abu El Fotouh.

The question is can we trust these Egyptian polls ? 

#Egyelections : The upper Egyptian vote

It is only matter of hours and the first real presidential elections will start in Egypt , it is only matter of hours and honestly we do not know who will be the next president of Egypt.

Now I wrote before about the Christian vote in Egypt and tonight I believe I should write another important voting bloc in Egypt : The Upper Egyptian vote.

Quick facts :

• Upper Egypt consists of the following governorates : Fayoum, Bani Sawif, Sohag , Al Mania, Assuit , Qena ,Red Sea, Luxor and Aswan. "They are Upper Egyptians who live in Aswan along with the Nubian"
• The main tribes in Upper Egypt are : Al Hawara , Al Arab, Al Ashraf , Gowhina, Bani Helal, Tamim,Harab and Al Rashida.
• Upper Egypt suffers from poverty , illness and unemployment more than area in the country.
• Upper Egypt got tons of social problems when it comes to customs and traditions that are against religion and law.
• Upper Egypt has got a bitter history with the state because of illegal arms trade and the bloody past of Jihadi militant groups in 1980s and 1990s
• Upper Egypt has got huge economic potentials if it is reached in the right way.

When it comes to the Islamist vote in Upper Egypt , we are speaking here about Al Gama'a Al Islamiyaa and it's political arm "The development and building party" more than the Muslim brotherhood. Al Gama'a Al Islamiyaa endorses Abdel Moneim Abu El Fotouh yet we should not forget that the MB and its political arm " The freedom and justice party" scored several seats in Upper Egypt.

Be worried about #Sinai , be very worried about #Sinai

Tonight a tribal Sheik from the famous Al Sawaraka tribe has been assassinated from few hours ago. Sheikh Nayaf Al Sawaraka was shot down when a group of militants opened their fire in front of the city council in the city of Al Arish. They fled in a car and the man was transferred to a hospital to die there.

North Sinai is on alert , security authorities whether police or army are on alert. It is unclear the motives behind this act which is the first of its kind when I recount the violence in Sinai as we are speaking about tribal chief.

Could it be for tribal differences ?! I do not know , the man is known for wisdom and was like a meditator among tribes according to news reports. The time and place are more than alarming.

There are armed Jihadi Salafist groups in Sinai and for some reason the authorities in the past year and half left these groups to flourish. These armed groups are not under the control of the local tribes , they work according to their leaders.

#Egyelections : And #AMAF shows off his supporters

The official Abu El Fotouh "AMAF" campaign announced that it would end its official activities on Friday in a big show off for the popularity of the moderate Islamist candidate. The event got an ad that is worth thousands of pounds in Ahram weekly Friday issue. It was supposed to be at Cairo international stadium but the stadium's administration refused the event despite the Muslim brotherhood and Freedom and Justice party organized a big event for Mohamed Morsi at Mansoura stadium in the city of Mansoura last month !! Anyhow they moved it to Al Gazeeria Youth center in Zamalek this is better because It would not be easy to go to Nasr city on Friday night

The event included hosting prominent figures in the society that endorses Abu El Fotouh that make him the man who u unit ideologies behind his idea of "strong Egypt" , just look to the speakers of the events : Director Mohamed Diab , director Amr Salama , Activist Wael Ghonim, singer Hamza Namira , actress Hanan Turk , actress Athar El Hakim, MP Mostafa El Nagar , MP Essam Sultan, Al wasat party leader Abu Ela Mady, Al Nour party spokesperson Nadar Bakr were some of the names announced.

RIP #Warda , the Rose of the Arab world

Warda in March 2012

Egypt and Algeria have lost tonight a true diva , Warda Al-Jazairia or just simply Warda “1940-2012” had passed away in her house in Cairo after suffering a cardiac arrest. The Algerian president will send a private jet to transfer her body to Algeria where she will be buried in the Great Algerians cemetery that include the tomb of Algerian president Houari Boumediene  there. Warda in Arabic means a rose in English
The French born half Algerian half Lebanese singer is part of Egyptian culture singing scene memory , a true legend when I remember her songs which new generations ignore. I feel so sad.
I loved her songs , her voice and her style , she was a true diva.
Now I know my words will make some Algerians angry but I consider her Egyptian as much as they consider her Algerian. I can’t forget how she sang for Egypt after 1973 war chanting “How beautiful my country is”, this love in her voice in Egypt was just incredible.

Warda : Helwa Beladi 1973

A rising star in the Arab world in late 1950s and 1960s , the golden years of Warda were in the 1970s especially after her marriage from famous music composer Baligah Hamdy as they presented some of the best romantic Arabic songs.

#EgyElections : And the first lady will be from these ladies..

We spoke about the man who will be the next but we have not spoken about the lady who will be and thus here is my attempt to gather some info about the future First lady of Egypt. There is no particular order for this list that included only the top presidential candidates’ wives to save your time as well mine.

Laila Badawy

Laila  ,Moussa and their granddaughter
Amina 

Laila Badawy is the wife of Amr Moussa and she is familiar with protocols after living decades as a wife of diplomat. Laila descends from famous family , her uncle is famous constitutional law guru Tharwat Badawy. 
As a fresh graduate of Faculty of engineering “University of Alexandria”  she married young diplomat Moussa and moved with him to New York where he was working in 1968 in the Egyptian commission in UN.
She completed her studies in the US then gave birth to her children Hazem and Hania then she continued to have studies whether in Cairo university or university of Columbia. When Moussa was our ambassador in India , she was a volunteer in University of Delhi.
She is a very beautiful lady who descends from rich family. Her photos can be seen in the lifestyle magazines from time to time in Egypt. She is active in charity. She is also a member in some Lions clubs if I am not mistaken. She is well known as “Laila Hanem” in close circles yet despite this title reminds some with Suzanne Mubarak still in very few statements to the media , Laila Badawy made sure that she will not be involved in politics. Badawy and Mousa are grandparents.

Azza Tawfik

Late Azza Tawfik 

Azza Tawfik was the late wife of Ahmed Shafik, a daughter of former minister and free officer who has just passed away from less than month ago after long battle with Cancer. Shafik did not speak that much about his wife , the mother of his three daughters despite he looked sad in some interviews right after her death. He only took 3 days off his campaign before returning back on track.
Personally I can’t imagine how he went on campaigning whether in her last days or even in the time he should mourn her yet I respect that he did not use his sickness or marriage to win sympathy. “I remember John Edwards”