US-Egypt strategic dialogue launched... At the same time, Mubarak rejects foreign influence... 

Another Washington Post editorial about Egypt backtracking on democracy..

No need for a vice president since there's a prime minister, Mubarak says... 

More criticism of new press law... A day without papers... 300 journalists protest against the new law… Newspapers not publishing on Sunday rise to 28…

Two blogger activists released...

The Kefaya corruption report...

Parliament accepts aid from Denmark...

A writer tries to figure out who Egypt's messiah will be... A blogger says the thread connecting current, politically flamboyant events is “that they all dramatise the modern political struggle between a repressive state wielding draconian laws, and citizens seeking the repeal and reform of such oppressive ordinances.”

Mubarak steps in at last minute to change controversial press law, but many journalists are still concerned… Some journalists hail... Human rights groups not happy... Meanwhile, ruling NDP starts its own paper, claims it will be objective... Earlier:  Plus, more reactions…

Earlier: High-level delegation to meet in DC next week to discuss strategic US-Egypt ties.

27 more members of the Muslim Brotherhood arrested…

  Earlier story...

Leader again... IHT argues that "nowhere... has a new indifference to democracy [on the past of the Bush administration] been more striking than in Egypt..."

Detailed legal explanation of the new judicial law... More details on why the judges dont like their new law... Despite everything, new judicial law passes in parliament... 

Rebel priest leads Coptic split...

Newsweek wonders what might happen after Mubarak. Meanwhile, the president promises unprecedented reforms in 2007...

Blogger Alaa gives his first post-release interview to Newsweek... Journalists are on trial for exposing alleged judicial corruption... More Muslim Brotherhood arrests..

MEDIA
A day without papers...
300 journalists protest against the new press law… Newspapers not publishing on Sunday rise to 28… Western press not very accurate with names: Reuters calls Masry El-Youm editor Magdy El-Galad -- El-Galal… and Ahram editor Osama Saraya -- Faraya... Earlier story from BBC: some two dozen newspapers are suspending publication for a day to protest a new law they say will prevent them investigating corruption. Earlier: Independent and opposition papers will not come out on Sunday to protest press freedom restrictions...

Press confusion... Destour editor Ibrahim Eissa and others sentenced to jail time for publishing an article about a lawsuit against the president... Journalists and rights groups react... Photo of Eissa at news conference following verdict...

A look at "How Egyptians are getting their news in 2006"...

Judges Club still not happy... Details about why the Judges Club doesn't like the new judicial law... Government sends new judicial bill to parliament without even consulting the judges... Brotherhood calls new judiciary law "disappointing..." Plus, UN steps in to urge Egypt on judicial independence...

Another critical Washington Post op-ed lambasting the Bush administration for not doing anything about Egypt's democratic backtracking... The Guardian's Whitaker continues to skewer the same...  

Earlier: Alaa Abdel Fattah, the blogger who was arrested during pro-democracy protests last month "and continued to blog from his cell," was ordered released... Meanwhile, two other blogger activists still in jail...

An eloquent requiem for longtime lawyer and activist Ahmed Nabil El-Hilali...

Alaa al-Aswani, the author and activist who wrote The Yacoubian Building, a best-selling novel about corruption, told AFP he had been barred from attending the Cairo premiere of the book's film version because of his politics... Plus, photo of stars Youssra and Nour El-Sherif at the premier.

 An in-depth look at the brotherhood's political prospects...

Earlier reporting from AP... BBC does an eve of vote roundup, Reuters covers the Muslim Brotherhood roundup (up to 1600 arrested), and Osama El-Baz talks about the Brotherhood... The group's leaders themselves start to speak up about their future ambitions.. Earlier, AP calls the Muslim Brotherhood's picking up 29 more seats a "stunning result"... Group leader Akef tries to soothe the West about the brotherhood's foreign policy inclinations... (Here's the longer version...) Plus interesting analyses of the results from bloggers at Arabist, Baheyya, and Sandmonkey... There's also a Yahoo slide show of election day photos, made all the more poignant, perhaps, by this account of the difficulties encountered by reporters and photographers covering the polls. Meanwhile, the United States renewed its "real concern" over violence in Egypt's parliamentary elections, and "Egypt's judges -- tasked with monitoring [the polls] -- have decided to deploy on the streets in a bid to ensure access to polling stations."

Recurring story?
In Egypt's parliamentary runoffs on Saturday, police prevented opposition voters from reaching the polling stations in Alexandria... Judges called for voting to be suspended as a result... Despite this, the Muslim Brotherhood's vote rampage continued... Reuters says 28 more seats for the Islamist group, while AP says 25 in a far more detailed report... Some say the brotherhood is thriving on public anger against Israel and the government's ties with the Jewish state... In any case, the police detained at least 50 brotherhood members on Saturday...  Meanwhile, Nazif tries to stay on message about reform despite NDP election losses... The "strong showing by the Muslim Brotherhood in parliamentary elections has caught Egypt's rulers off guard and could shake up politics in the biggest Arab country," Reuters says... CS Monitor explores the idea of legalizing the group... A Brotherhood big wig explains the situation... (Direct link to the brotherhood leader's comment in the Guardian...) One interpretation for this sudden turn of events, was proffered by Negad el-Borai, a human rights advocate and elections' monitor,  to AP: "The people are saying we hate the ruling party, we hate the government and we will get anybody to rule us except you."

Interpreting the results... again
A few interesting comments on how democratic the process might or might not be... And, somewhat over-worked musings on US influence on -- and reactions to --  the elections, featuring quotes like: "The Americans have reassessed the situation and come to the conclusion that fast and vigorous democratization in Egypt is impossible and will work in an undesirable way..." Also, the United States expressed "real concern", and said it expected the Cairo government to ensure a vote free of intimidation. Meanwhile, an angry judge makes election fraud clear...but the Judges club call for army protection only makes it to UPI.. 

Money and "baltaga"
More election related violence in Gharbiya... Meanwhile, a man was killed in a fight between supporters of two rival politicians north of Cairo on Wednesday in the second death in violence linked to Egypt's legislative elections... Plus, "the European Parliament delegation which went to Egypt to witness the first phase of parliamentary elections there has decided not to go back for the final phase. The delegation felt that there was little point in returning because of the negative impressions it had on 9 November. These impressions have since been confirmed by NGOs and subsequent events in Egypt..." According to the NY Times: "The violence was seen as a government effort to create chaos to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from making further gains in the second round of three-stage parliamentary elections."

Nothing but parliament
Egyptian police arrested 16 members of the Muslim Brotherhood early on Friday, a day before another round of parliamentary elections... Around 540 Brotherhood supporters have been arrested since the beginning of the parliamentary elections earlier this month, and about 300 are still in prison...

Judicial escalation?
The biggest election related news on Wednesday was the Judges Club request for army intervention to guarantee the sanctity of polling stations... Get links to early Wafd and Filbalad's coverage of that on zahma.com. 

Plus, more details on election day battles from CSMonitor... 150 brotherhood members still being held... 

Heading into Saturday's run-offs in the second stage of the 2005 parliemantary elections, most political chatter is about the increasing gains being made by the Muslim Brotherhood. The group's spokesman Issam al-Aryan told AFP his movement "had won at least 13 seats in the second phase of the elections, without runoffs needed, bringing their seat tally to 47, trebling their 2000 score even before the elections' third and final stage."  

On TV all afternoon Sunday, in conversations around town... there's more interest than usual in the parliamentary goings-on... Here's AP's election sum-up... and a Yahoo slide-show of election day scenes... (Earlier reports below...)

2nd round of parliamentary elections..
With 1,706 candidates competing in 72 constituencies in 9 provinces ... AP reports initial complaints of irregularities... Unknown thuggery and fires in Alexandria... (More.., a little more..) Meanwhile, police detained more than 80 supporters of an Islamist candidate... This report says 200... (More...)

1st stage election results..
"Egypt's ruling party won 112 seats in the first stage of the country's parliamentary elections, or about 70 percent of those available... The Muslim Brotherhood doubled their parliamentary seats in the elections' first round alone, bringing concerns of what parliamentary debates will be like, and whether or not the government will crack down on the group in the next 2 rounds... Slightly differing takes on the issue from AP, AFP, Reuters and BBC... 

Newsweek looks at post election Ayman Nour...Meanwhile, journalists were reportedly harassed during the parliamentary elections... Probably a good thing, then, that the US ambassador -- according to Khaleej Times -- went undercover to monitor the elections in Zamalek...CS Monitor looks at the attack on a Jazeera journalist and other violations against the press during the heady election season... 

Several violations were observed during the first phase of Egypt's parliamentary elections, the vice president of the European Union Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, said."The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies monitored state controlled media during the election campaign. The result surprised even the monitors: Broadcasters and newspapers dedicated between 58 and 95 percent of their election coverage to the ruling National Democratic Party... Post editorial takes Mubarak to task for not keeping promises, says US should nurture pro democracy movement and not regime...Most NDP stalwarts retained their seats... The Nov. 9 results in the electoral districts of Waily, Boulak el-Dakrour and Manshiat al-Qanater were invalid and the polls should be repeated, the court ruled... Workers doubtful of election jobs pledges...Reuters looks at a few Gamal scenarios... Judges report on presidential elections comes out... VOA looks at young people's participation in politics...

Plus, this from AFP: "Egypt's Muslim  Brotherhood is set for a showdown with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) in Sunday's second round of parliamentary elections after making strong gains in the first phase... Observers warned Thursday that [the regime] would seek to prevent the Islamist movement from making further gains in the two remaining rounds..." Soon thereafter, there were reports that police detained four Muslim Brotherhood members for distributing pamphlets... 

Harsh run-offs... Violence and fraud mar parliamentary run-offs, including: 17 wounded in election day scuffles in Beni Suef; a woman shot and injured outside a polling station in a working-class area in Cairo; and the burning of a ruling party office in a lower income Cairo district... Here are different versions of a messy Tuesday vote from AFP, AP, BBC and Reuters...  

Polls open in runoff elections to decide 133 seats in Egypt's parliament...

80% of seats go to run-off ... CS monitor says turnout was low but elections were relatively clean...Ayman Nour loses his seat and other early results... More from AP...

Police arrested seven taking part in a Muslim Brotherhood protest on Friday against what the Islamist opposition group says were rigged elections...

The first round is over: AP and AFP look at the interesting mix of more monitors, more campaigning and some scattered violence...Mubarak's party expected to win, says Reuters.. which also reports that judges doubt turnout figures, which initial reports said were better than expected... Meanwhile, here's a Yahoo slideshow of election day scenes...

Ready, set, vote...
First stage of parliamentary elections start.... Mubarak urges big turnout. AP says his "promise to open up the Egyptian political system after nearly a quarter-century of his autocratic rule faces a major test"...Brotherhood candidates pull out of some races to make way for larger opposition front... Looking closer at the women candidates... FT says "elections unlikely to dent ruling party’s majority"... And AFP goes symbolic: "Dove or tank? Tennis racket or mobile phone? In Egypt, where close to half of the population is believed to be illiterate, a good choice of campaign symbol can be decisive on polling day."

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2005:
Changing dynamics...

THE VOTING PROCESS: Egyptians will cast their ballots in transparent boxes in parliamentary elections scheduled for November...NGOs sue electoral commission over monitoring...Egyptian opposition groups which have formed an alliance to fight November parliamentary elections want international human rights organisations to monitor the vote...Egyptian rights groups said they had recruited thousands of people to monitor the November parliamentary elections... Meanwhile, Egypt has decided to allow local civic groups to monitor the November legislative elections if they have approval from a government-backed human rights council...

WHO TO VOTE FOR: On the eve of the elections, VOA looks at the opposition front... Ahram's Hala Mustafa pens a critical democracy piece in the Washington Post... AP does a "campaign heats up" story...FT takes on the NDP's old guard/new guard dynamic... AFP fetes Gamal Mubarak as NDP opens its parliamentary campaign season... Up to a fifth of the People's Assembly are wealthy businessmen... Copts feel left out of politics....

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: The latest news agency take on the Muslim Brotherhood's campaign methods -- by AFP -- makes some interesting points...The agencies love Makarem Eldery, the brotherhood's female candidate... BBC looks at the brotherhood's "Islam is the solution" slogan and other mixtures of religion and politics... The Brotherhood is standing in only about a third of parliamentary seats in coming elections, to avoid friction with the country's ruling party, its leader said... A closer look at the only Muslim Brotherhood woman candidate (another look by Washington Times)...Brotherhood getting more leeway than usual ahead of parliamentary campaign...Leading Muslim Brother Essam El-Erian to be released...Plus, Brotherhood takes to the streets in pre parliamentary elections campaign march...Islamist lawyer Montasser Zayat enters the parliamentary fray...  

THE GHAD PARTY: Reuters takes its turn at dissecting Ayman Nour's woes...Bribery charges against Nour dropped... Nour says trial hampers election campaign... hopes to partner with Muslim Brotherhood for parliamentary poll... Dirty politics, threatening tapes, and more on Ayman Nour's demise -- chronicled poignantly by the New York Times...

Plus, lots of reactions in Arabic on zahma.com

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2005:
Changing dynamics...
1600: Final candidate list...Final candidate list released... over 5000 candidates might compete... 

Bring on the candidates...
The Guardian suggests that "in the interest of democratic reform, the Egyptian government must allow its electoral rivals some success..." Earlier, Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party has announced it will replace a third of its existing MPs ahead of next month's parliamentary election... Mubarak approves NDP parliamentary candidate lists...  Meanwhile, the leader of Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood urged Egyptians to vote, saying it may be a fair race but he still warned voters to guard against forgery... Parliamentary elections to begin November 9... 

Opposition alliance declared...
More on the opposition alliance, which also seems to included Kefaya... Earlier report: "The Wafd, Tagammu and Nasserists and the Muslim Brotherhood in addition to some eight other opposition groups have formed a National Front for Change," Rifaat al-Said said. He said that a common platform would be drafted but that the front would not field candidates in its name to the elections next month. "The Wafd, Tagammu and the Nasserists will in all likelihood field candidates as part of a coalition while the Brotherhood will field their own." Plus, BBC takes another look at the would-be Wasat party.. 

Interior Minister Habib al-Adly set October 15 as the start date for candidates' registration... Khaleej Times profiles a female Islamist candidate...and Another massive Islamist student rally...

Tough report...
International Crisis Group calls first multi-candidate presidential elections a "false start for reform".. Report summary here...AFP's take...

Police clashed with a group of 30 demonstrators demanding the immediate release of political detainees...

Gamal next time? President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, has taken credit for bringing in political reforms which helped his father win Egypt's presidential ballot. AFP says "Gamal further stamped his authority on Egypt at the ruling party's conference, declaring his camp's victory over the old guard."

Meanwhile, VOA asks "Is Arab Democracy Possible Without Islamists?" Meanwhile, "thousands of Islamist students demonstrated across Egypt to demand that parliamentary elections next month be free and fair, in a new show of force by the banned Muslim Brotherhood... Protests were staged at four universities in Cairo and several other cities under the slogan "Together for reform: Free university... Free country."

Condi says Egypt has a long way to go on democracy... Meanwhile, a top State Department official speaks out about a lot still needing to be done for Egyptian democracy...

Another term President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for 24 years, has been sworn in for a fifth term in office... Street protest follows swearing in ceremony...

Meanwhile, Al-Karama -- yet another new weekly newspaper and potential political party, appears....

Nour dismisses Ghad dissidents party coup attempt... Nour back on the stand... "Judges on Monday ordered Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour to appear in court again on Tuesday, taking him away from a parliamentary session swearing in President Hosni Mubarak, who beat him in September 7 elections."

Still interesting... Saadeddin Ibrahim pens a Washington Post op-ed piece calling on Washington to put more pressure on Mubarak...And the Post's Ignatious talks to a lot of people who matter about whether or not the old authoritarian system is truly broken...  

Plus, Kifaya -- at a year old... calls for opposition coaltion...

The next round... Egypt's legislative elections will kick off on November 8 for three weeks, a government official said on Tuesday...

Longish analysis says regime shell has cracked post elections... Post op-ed says moderate Islamists playing leading role, urges US to take note...

Mubarak will be sworn in next Tuesday...

IHT looks at what Ayman Nour and the Ghad party might do after the vote... Trouble within the Ghad party...Plus, AFP looks at Nour's manifold woes and latest battles...as the Ghad party leader continues to be widely feted by the Washington Post... 

Plus, Culture minister to stay... leads AP to say reform will come slow.

Whitaker's latest Guardian piece starts with a witty joke about elections... Post-election demo... Condi's "lukewarm" comment on the elections, as described by the blogger known as Sphinx... Mubarak's first post-election speech speaks the language of democracy... San Francisco Chronicle looks at the bright side, that things are changing.. Washington Post is skeptical, citing the reality of a family wracked by an unfair imprisonment. Globe and Mail finds brotherhood upset as well..

Another interesting Globe and Mail story combines the following elements: Elections were rigged but not enough to mandate overturning them... White House congratulates Mubarak, but says it wants parliamentary polls to be cleaner... Nour claims he should have gotten 32 per cent of the vote... Post election demo not attacked by police...

Announcing  the victory... President Hosni Mubarak was the unsurprising winner of Egypt's first multi-candidate presidential elections. The election commission chairman announced the results late on Friday: Mubarak got 88.571 percent of the vote, Ayman Nour of the opposition Al-Ghad party was second with 7.3 percent, followed by the other main opposition candidate Noaman Gomaa of the Wafd Party with 2.8 percent. The turnout was 23 percent. Here are takes from AP, Reuters, & FT.

Post election coverage...
Great intro from the Economist: "It was a lopsided fight, hastily arranged, poorly refereed, and pitting a big bruiser against bantams."

FT also has it right: "Rarely is it clear in an electoral exercise such as the one that took place yesterday in Egypt - an entrenched autocracy dressing up a predetermined outcome with democratic trappings - whether this should be dismissed as a farce or embraced as a modest beginning. Because it can be both."

Interesting details in the New York Times account...

Whitaker's Guardian piece is a good sum up of the New Mubarak and the new Egypt...

Is it over...
... or just the start?
The polls have closed. Nearly 10,000 of them, across the country. It was a day unlike any other day -- 24 hours that ushered Egypt into a much more democratic realm... regardless of whether or not the first presidential elections in its history were fair or not.
Even though the winner was known in advance, something has changed, that's for sure: the public is still nowhere near being in control of the process, but the door to that control room has been opened, if only just a bit... Read more

Last estimate... Opposition candidate Ayman Nour — whose respectable showing for a relative unknown could propel him to greater political prominence. -- wants a re-run... and authorities reject his request...

Plus, expats upset about not being allowed to vote...

and the US State Department wants Mubarak to fulfill his campaign promises if he wins...

Marring the poll: AP's sum up concentrates on fraud and a boycott rally... AFP says abuse... BBC says apathy...  

Mail and Guardian talks to confused voters...  

Monitors complain of harassment...  

At one point, the election day kefaya demonstration was attacked by thugs... AP photo here... Detailed Independent account here...

Blogger Mohamed, From Cairo, with love, writes an astute, emotional account of how the elections affected his day...

Plus, a historic look at elections in Egypt...

Election day!
Early poll station reporting from AP, which also reports that no protests are allowed today. The possibilities of a second round explored by The Independent.. Time predicts that "Despite its flaws, Egypt's presidential election on Wednesday could be the beginning of the end of one-man rule"...  Tribune says "Taste of democracy today may whet Egypt's appetite for more"... LA Times, meanwhile, quotes many as saying "life without [President Hosni] Mubarak is unimaginable." Plus, Saadeddin Ibrahim pens an op-ed piece in the Daily Star... and there's a photo of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif confidently answering questions about the elections at a Tuesday press conference... (Is Nazif's sudden ubiquity the key to the rumors about Trade Minister Rachid becoming Prime Minister... does it mean that Nazif -- who certainly doesn't look like he's about to get the boot -- might be named Vice President after Mubarak wins?) .. 

The night before... Mubarak's victory a foregone conclusion ... Overview mood piece from Baltimore Sun... Another last act story from AP... Washington Post op-ed stresses that Bush needs to keep his eye on Egypt after the election as well... Interview with human rights leader on monitoring plans... Worried about voter fraud... Monitors and congressional delegations... Mubarak's final campaign speech... Plus, growing criticism of president...

The ultimate
election news coverage roundup...

Six Egyptian non-governmental rights groups on Saturday urged Egyptians either to boycott the country's first multi-candidate presidential election this month or to cast their ballots against President Hosni Mubarak...HRW of two minds on election..The Egyptian judiciary authorised local non-governmental organisations to monitor the historic September 7 poll, a decision hailed as a major step towards ensuring a more transparent election... Judges to supervise, buy say they cant guarantee a fair vote...

One candidate eliminated from race.. Photos of all the candidates... Picture of the ballot... Article on potential turnout figures... Taking an in-depth look at the Wafd's slogan...

Interesting comment from Washington Times on the elections, including many opinions from top analysts...  This report says that Gamal Mubarak appears more powerful than ever, steering not only his father's campaign, but also leading a silent revolution inside the ranks of the ruling National Democratic Party... Economist says "The election may not be the real thing yet, but it's a pretty good show."

More...
election media
Photo of the strangest of the candidates... Nour's campaign clip not allowed to run... Judges not happy about election rules...

PLUS: "Washington's drive for democratic change in Egypt has left the country's reformist opposition torn between a deep-rooted anti-Americanism and the potential windfall of US support..."

"... The United States pressed Egypt to allow independent observers to monitor next week's presidential elections but played down opposition complaints of unfair coverage by the country's media..."

Meanwhile, police have been ordered to exercise "maximum self-restraint'' during Egypt's first contested presidential campaign and to prevent a repeat of attacks against opposition protesters, reformist Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif said..

AND: "Egypt's largest opposition group will not compete in the country's first contested presidential election, but the officially banned Muslim Brotherhood has its eyes trained on the upcoming parliamentary polls."

Media maxing on election coverage?
Post columnist not that impressed with the democratic experiment... Profile of looniest candidate... The only thing bothering Mubarak on the campaign trail is the heat... Criticism of Mubarak on Egyptian TV... Media in general slammed for being too pro-Mubarak... AFP asks how transparent the poll will really be...

Election
coverage roundup....
NY Times does an interesting elections mood piece... Well-known writers, musicians and theatre figures gathered along with hundreds of fellow artists in Cairo to protest... More kifaya protests...Egyptian civil society groups are battling for official recognition to monitor, but say the authorities have so far been uncooperative despite vowing a transparent vote... The Muslim Brotherhood, blocked from fielding its own candidate, is keeping a low profile until November parliamentary polls to avoid conflict with the authorities... On the campaign trail with Ayman Nour... Khaleej Times says voters not really interested...

Latest
campaign details...
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's election campaign ruled out any televised debate between Mubarak and rival candidates before the country's first contested presidential elections on September 7.

Muslim Brotherhood decides not to boycott poll, but says it wont support Mubarak either...

Khaleej Times does a good roundup of election campaign starts, including Nour's shadow government announcement...

Analyzing support
AP tries to find out why people in Boulaq are supporting Mubarak... Shaaban and Adel Imam also lend their support...

Banned Muslim Brotherhood, meanwhile, will not back Mubarak in Egypt's first contested presidential election because they say he failed to deliver political reforms.. Plus, biting column on the contradictions in the brotherhood's political reform philosophies... and IHT looks at the banned but tolerated group... 

Who's taking the half million subsidy and who isn't? Campaign funds becoming big issue

Former US ambassador Welch comments on the upcoming elections...

Campaign begins...
Reuters seems to sum things up best... "Egypt's first contested presidential election campaign opened on Wednesday with little fanfare and few signs the race is likely to excite millions of Egyptians after 50 years on the sidelines of politics."

Among the interesting tidbits... "Egyptian state television, the main source of news to many of the country's 70 million people, did not broadcast [Mubarak's] speech, under new rules meant to ensure a level playing field."

AP's version has more details... including "Nour laid out his own political agenda in a speech just after Mubarak, arriving in a horse-drawn carriage to his campaign headquarters in an impoverished neighborhood of central Cairo."

... and more from AFP

Critics are worried coverage will be unfair....

Daily Star editorial is critical of the presidential election process.... "Today marks the start of Egypt's first ever competitive presidential election campaign, more noteworthy for the slight novelty of the process than for any uncertainty about its outcome. ... The 77-year-old incumbent marks his 24th year of rule by having nine challengers run against him, making the exercise akin to an array of Egyptian beetle scarabs lined up next to the Sphinx."

DOMESTIC POLITICS
Group to monitor media fairness during elections... 

Russian media covers government subsidies for candidates... Khaleej Times criticizes Egyptian refusal to allow international monitors...

Washington Post encourages US to keep its eyes on Egypt.

Coptic Church decided to suspend one of its priests, because he supports the opposition al-Ghad party, breaking rank with the church's official endorsement of incumbent president Hosni Mubarak's presidential candidacy...

Cairo magazine banned again...

The Post profiles Abuelela Madi and his soon to be approved Al-wasat party...

Choosing the candidates
Meet the 10 contenders...

Talaat Sadat, 51, nephew of slain former Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat, says he'll quit parliament if he's not allowed to run for president.. In the end he is disqualified...

Members of Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement are divided over whether to boycott the forthcoming presidential election...

Gearing up for an all-out media war in the run-up to the election, with no less than six new newspapers due to hit newsstands in the next few days...

AFP summarizes the almost final list of presidential candidates... Only 11 candidates?

Details on the exact campaign dates, including the possibility of a run off if no one candidate wins 50 per cent...

Wafd announces chairman Noman Gomaa's presidential platform... AP photo.. And more on his views here...

Female candidate talks about plans...

USAID funding goes directly to local NGOs trying to monitor elections...

Kefaya supporting journalist arrested by police... More strange incidents -- Ghad party says activist shot in foot by police while trying to put up posters in Benha...

Wafd enters the race... First woman to run... (more about her here...) Arab columnist claims someone named Ayman Anwar Sadat is running...

Artists and writers stage an anti-Mubarak protest... Plus, another kefaya demo, this one not violent...

Earlier, an insightful comment from BBC: "The assault on the protestors is yet another mixed message from a government which insists it is committed to democratic reform, while its actions seem to advertise a limited tolerance to opposition." Plus, a tough editorial from the Boston Globe, Human Rights Watch highly critical... and the US State Department comments...

DOMESTIC POLITICS
Interpreting Tahrir
Very thoughtful Daily Star editorial fetes and critiques Kefaya at the same time... Kefaya trying to come to grips with protest arrests, violence.... Muslim Brotherhood condemns attacks on protestors... 

AP story indicates clear confusion among analysts over what comes next -- more crackdowns, government not worried about US pressure, and news of more demos on Sunday, this time relatively peaceful... Plus, much more in Arabic on zahma.com...

The race begins...
Mubarak and Nour bickering over who gets the crescent symbol... Nour challenges Mubarak to televised debate...

Media covers news of the latest candidate with absolutely no chance of winning...

The incumbent will run...
AP's report on President Hosni Mubarak's announcement that he will be running for president again... Promises to fight terror... Jazeera story features some reactions.. Critical editorial in the Daily Star... Washington Post's sum up of the scene... The Guardian tries as well.

Unfortunate events
AFP features quotes from protestors... AP features scathing commentary...  Reuters focuses on activists being detained... This AP feed features a photo as well.. 

Gumhoria says Mubarak will nominate himself...

Columnist argues that Sharm emergency shouldn't be blank check for democracy suppression...

AP says bombings have meant "Mubarak is projecting the image of a leader who may be the difference between safety and strife" in the lead up to elections...

Election details set...

Disagreements over sloganeering during large demo supporting judges...

Opposition looks to boycott presidential poll.. More from Daily Star... And even more from the Guardian and Khaleej Times...

Unofficial Islamist party Al-Wassat set to become legit?

Presidential elections have been set for September 7... 

Journalists being trained by USAID on how to cover the elections fairly...

Saadeddin Ibrahim decides not to run... Saadawi also out of the race...

Washington Post columnist closely links Bush and Nour ... Plus, very interesting PBS debate between Nabil Fahmy and Saad about fast versus slow democracy, and foreign versus domestic pressure... 

Different USAID? Andrew Natsios, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said that USAID money for civil society was no longer subject to Cairo's nod.  Top US AID official clarifies the policy... "USAID's job was to promote democratic change as it had in countries such as Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan."  Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick sought to persuade Egypt's leadership to accept international observers to monitor upcoming elections... 

DOMESTIC POLITICS
Abdin unemployment demonstration...

Opposition groups -- including the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest and oldest Islamic group, stood together with secular activists and leftists -- last week to "call ... for all the political forces to boycott the elections...''

Demos take on another dimension... Big opposition meeting calls for election boycott...

Khaleej Times interviews Ayman Nour

Nour's trial has been postponed until after September's presidential poll, in which he intends to stand.

Azhar Sheikh Tantawi upset about sharia exemption in new political parties law...

Egyptian opposition groups cast doubt on the neutrality of people chosen to sit on a commission which will have the last word on the conduct of presidential elections in September. Washington Post tries to sum up all the new protest movements and how they operate...

Silent MPs revealed by parliamentary report... Imbaba unemployment protest covered by AP...

Judges speak up on referendum fraud...

Great first paragraph in Daily Star Egypt politics analysis: "You know that a country suffers distress and deep distortions when the policemen at the airport ask foreign visitors for tips and the waiters at the five-star hotels do not. When the waiters are better trained and disciplined than some of the security forces, you have a problem. Egypt today is a country with problems, but also prospects for change."

Latest Ayman Nour...
"A co-defendant in the trial of Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour has withdrawn his testimony, saying his confession had been forced out of him." Earlier scenes from the trial.

Anti torture protest turns violent... More from Reuters

Another Egyptian expat decides to run for president...Another candidate, Talaat Sadat, blasts regime... Sadat's nephew to run for president...

Muslim Brotherhood wants to gather opposition groups together.

Civil society rising...

Rights group wants remaining Muslim brothers released....

Judges saiy changes made to law governing exercise of political rights ignored their proposals to ensure convening of free and fair elections later this year. Daily Star column looks at the issue more closely...

Sharq El-Awsat (in English) has a first hand account of the "free" kifaya demo in Shubra...

Guardian's take on the rare unmolested Shubra protest. Plus, parallel Reuters coverage.

Opposition leader Ayman Nour was barred from leaving Cairo to deliver a speech at the European Parliament...BBC story also discusses the possilbility of Nour's disqualification from the presidential race.

Latest Condi reactions...
LA Times analysis says US still choosing stability over reform... Pat Buchanan highly cynical about Condi's Cairo democracy speech...More Condi fallout... And, an interesting comment: "But a recipient of American assistance has no basis to protest ...

German media tries to put Rice visit in context... 

CS Monitor continues to pursue the US's reform role debate. As does Reuters...

Post columnist says that because Rice's speech was so lofty on US commitment to democracy, it might foretell the closing down of Gitmo...And, an interesting comment: "But a recipient of American assistance has no basis to protest when informed, as the Egyptian government was by Rice, that it “must fulfill the promise it has made to its people — and to the entire world — by giving its citizens the freedom to choose.... It is indeed the civilizational challenge for Arabs, instead of dismissing Rice, to show their hopes and dreams are no different than anyone else’s, and they are no less deserving of freedom’s bounty."

The initial press coverage
AP's sum up includes some negative audience reactions. The Guardian looks at the issue, with a focus on why both the US and Egypt agree the Muslim Brotherhood shouldn't be officially included in the process. Plus, dull coverage of Rice's meeting with the opposition. A Boston Globe story asks: ''The question that is begged is, once you start spelling out what your expectations are, what are you going to do if they are not met?"

Unlocking the door to change
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had praise for President Mubarak and encouragement for his opposition, in the continuing saga of conflicting US signals vis a vis the democratic reform process in Egypt. Rice's one day stop in Cairo was part of a regional tour that focused on liberty in the Arab World. At the American University in Cairo, where she delivered a "major speech" that was supposed to give the Egyptian government a "bloody nose" (according to a US official quoted by the press before the speech), Rice spoke directly to the "Egyptian people." It's “time to abandon the excuses that are  made to avoid the hard work of democracy,” she said. Democracy is hard to put into place, takes time...She used the US as an example, and her own personal experience as an African American, to show how long it can take to match the principles of democracy with reality.

The US Secratary of State said free nations would support democracy activists...  She called them Cairo's "impatient patriots". This fall's elections must be free and fair, she said, because the world is watching...There must be unrestricted access for international monitors and observers. Successful reform is always home grown, and the government must put faith in its own people, she said. Emergency laws must be replaced by rule of law. Rice said US presidents since Reagan have listened to Mubarak's advice. She goes a little deeper into Egypt's trend setting history, bringing up Mohamed Ali's modernization regime in the 1800s, the Wafd's nationalist agenda in the 1900s, and of course peace with Israel.

The invitees included
Ali El-Smman, Naguib Sawiris, Khairi Bishara, Youssef Chahine, Hassan Kami, Mohamed Abul-Enien, Ibrahim El-Moallam, Esmat Abdel-Meguid, and Mustafa El-Fiki. Former US ambassador to Egypt, now assistant secretary of state for the Middle East, David Welch, was back in town with Condi.

The sum up: It sounds like the US has put the people in the Middle East in a pretty tough spot. By Condi's own admission, the US has supported dictatorships in the region for 60 years at the expense of democracy. Now that the US has seen the light regarding how dangerous that attitude can be, they're asking the very same people who suffered under that policy to come up with the rules of the new game, and fight for what's right. But other than USAID, invading Iraq, and strong worded administration statements, there isn't much clarity regarding what the US is doing to ameliorate the situation it helped create, and how all "free nations", as Condi said, will support this process...

Stormy Monday?
US official says "Rice will deliver a major policy speech in Cairo and leave the Egyptian government with a "bloody nose" on democracy." ... Guardian features Abul Gheit's reaction to US pressure -- "We want to be friends, but keep your distance." ... FT looks at conflicting US signals towards reform in Egypt... Knight Ridder also analyzes, and says Condi should visit the judges...

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- in town over the next few days -- plans meeting with civil society activists, but, as the Post reports, "one problem in arranging such meetings is that activists in the Middle East are often leery of being publicly associated with the United States." More details here... The Guardian, meanwhile, analyzes the potential impact of Rice's trip: "At the end of the conversation it's easy for the Arab leader to say, 'You've made your case, now get off my back and what are you going to do if we don't democratize?''' "There's no good answer to that question.''

AP says anti regime protests have brought secular and religious women together...

Over 400 more Muslim brothers ordered released...

Seeing the light... The Guardian has a lot on President Hosni Mubarak's plans -- That he will seek a new term, and will appoint a civilian vice president if elected, in an attempt to reduce military control over many aspects of Egypt's governance... Will the military be upset about this, the reporter also asks... Meanwhile, there's also Reuter's take on the whole thing, and an in-depth piece in the Independent tries to sum up the scene vis a vis presidential son Gamal. (The Presidential spokesman later denies the British reports...)

’Candidate must prove he has clean financial record, certificate showing he performed his military duties, signed declaration certifying he does not hold second nationality.' ... This Middle East online piece summarizes the debate in parliament about the new presidential election law being tailored to fit presidential son Gamal. A little more from Khaleej Times...

Meanwhile, strange new candidates enter the fray... More on the big Mubarak billboards being taken down, and a big conversation with Gamal... 

77 more Muslim brothers released...

AFP reports that "Female journalists who were molested by Egyptian security on referendum day last month are being threatened by the state over the complaints they filed..." More here...

Opposition movement tries folklore in subdued protest attempt...

DOMESTIC POLITICS
VP move? FT breaks the news that Mubarak plans to appoint a vice president following the September elections... 

An earlier report about the huge pro-Mubarak posters disappearing from Egypt's streets...

Globe and Mail pens a thoughtful editorial on what might happen post May 25 referendum beatings... Female NDP parliamentarian tells NY Times that Mubarak was not happy about the beatings that took place on referendum day... 

A meandering, sometimes interesting Daily Star take on Egypt and the paradox of American democratization. A UPI piece concludes: ""Mubarak sees the China model" in politics... "He wants to introduce economic reforms without political reform." Thoughtful BBC piece talks to three prominent opposition politicians... Meanwhile, Ghad's new radio station attracts media attention... Plus, this is quite a strange and interesting development -- Korean groups hold a kifaya solidarity rally in front of the Egyptian embassy in Seoul...

163 Muslim brothers released from prison, but hundreds more still detained... Post portrays Washington's indecision on Egypt democracy pressure as a contest between advisors Saadeddin Ibrahim and Tarek Heggy regarding whether or not to allow the brotherhood into the process...

Reuters reports that "Egypt's foreign minister said most Egyptians were against the idea of foreign monitoring of its first presidential elections this year but no decision had yet been taken"

Reuters highlights the new pro Mubarak signs going up all over town...

Kifaya holds a candlelight vigil at the sight of the 25 May referendum beatings... Here are stories from AFP, China, and Reuters...

"Nomination period for candidates for the presidential election slated for September will open on July 18..." and more details on the election process from Chinese media... Ayman Nour wants to be president for two years...

AFP looks at mushrooming of new reform groups...Meanwhile, a new high-level change movement explains its reasons for stepping up -- "We are against dictatorship, and against those who shut the door to peaceful transitions, and those who mess with public money," said Yahia al-Gamal, a former government minister and member of the new coalition." 

Christian Science Monitor tries to figure out the Muslim Brotherhood -- concluding that their democratic rhetoric might not be a trick.... Washington Post flirts with religious politics - "For the Bush administration, which has called on Egypt to hold 'fair and free' elections, the Brotherhood theoretically represents a viable partner in what the president has called a 'march of democracy.'"

"Parliament rejected an opposition demand to investigate attacks on protesters and journalists during a referendum last month." Masry El Youm voter fraud pics picked up  by Khaleej Times and agencies...

Columnist describes Egyptian politics as having low grade fever.

With a focus on Gamal Mubarak, Business Week tries to synthesize the country's changing business and politics scene... Plus, the text of Gamal's recent Amcham speech... Meanwhile, a home grown pro Mubarak group appears...

And Kefaya threatens to seek legal recourse abroad...

Bush Mubarak phone call...
Reuters says the US President "urged" the Egyptian leader to hold free and fair elections...AP calls it "gentle prodding" ... 
The raw data: Excerpts from the different White House press conferences that mention it..."He's publicly stated he is for free and fair elections, and now is the time for him to show the world that his great country can set an example for others," Bush said. He also laid out what he called some reasonable standards for free and fair elections: "Listen, the definition of free and fair, there's international standards, of course, but people ought to be allowed to vote without being intimidated; people ought to be allowed to be on TV, and if the government owns the TV, they need to allow the opposition on TV; people ought to be allowed to carry signs and express their displeasure or pleasure; people ought to have every vote count. And those seem like reasonable standards." Bush's press secretary meanwhile, said "so that's something that we'll continue to watch as they move forward, and we appreciate the commitment from President Mubarak to move forward on free and fair elections."

Meanwhile, at the Journalist's syndicate... "Hundreds of Egyptians have staged an angry protest against the alleged sexual harassment of female activists and reporters by government supporters," reports BBC. "Call for Resignation of Egyptian Minister," says ABC... Daily Star's report adds some pre protest government reactions... and here's AP's mostly similar one to boot.

Egypt frees 22 Brotherhood members for exams

Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nazeef admitted on Tuesday that "mistakes" took place during last week's constitutional referendum, according to the Middle East News Agency...

Bush comments about Egyptian elections again... and a Post commentator is critical of Laura Bush's timing...

Egyptian activists have launched two separate initiatives in protest against the assault of several women during last week's referendum.

"Two Egyptian papers. Same event. Different pictures. Different tale." -- How Ahram and Wafd covered the referendum...

Lebanese mags look at referendum's low turnout...

Gamal Mubarak avoids the tough questions at Amcham seminar...

Government responds: Reuters reports that "Egypt said on Saturday attacks on activists opposing this week's referendum on adopting a new system for presidential elections had been overplayed by the media but that such incidents were still unacceptable."

Washington Post profiles one of the women who were assaulted by thugs during kefaya's referendum protest...

Plus, student members of Muslim Brotherhood released...

The results are in: 83 per cent vote yes... BBC's look at what the press said (mostly positive), and what the rest said (mostly negative)... Reporters without Borders open letter to Mubarak on press freedom violations.... This AP story says the way the government handled the opposition to the referendum shows the regime is on the defensive...

"Mockery of democracy is worthy of applause." -- This Washington Post editorial is highly critical of Laura Bush...

COMMENTARY
An interesting, devastating experiment
by Tarek Atia

How to sum up Wednesday's referendum? The results will be announced Thursday afternoon, but nobody's really holding their breath.
Wednesday's events featured a standard variety of mishaps and contradictions. These included loud cheers -- on TV, in the papers and on billboards across town -- about the empowerment of citizens, about how voting in the referendum on whether to have multi-candidate instead of referendum-based presidential elections was the right thing to do. 
It didn't seem to matter if you didn't know what the referendum was really about. Even if you did, with just yes or no options, you didn't really have much of a say about the specific details of amendment 76's conditions for future presidential candidates.
The avalanche of glib commentary and lack of informed debate meant that, as usual, the average person was on their own when it came to deciding who to believe. The government or the opposition? Laura Bush -- who called the amendment a positive step -- or her husband, who's always pressuring for more? 
You would have been hard pressed to find answers in the superficial cheers surrounding the amendment. And even the opposition's boycott campaign was obtuse, with papers painting their front pages black and asking people to stay home for an issue that they don't really understand.
People don't get it; not because, as so many pundits will claim, they're too poor, or too tired, or too frustrated. But because nobody -- NOBODY -- has ever really bothered to tell the whole story in a reasonable, moderate, and -- most importantly -- overly informative, rather than overly emotional, way.
And that's where the problem has always been. With different sides endlessly sloganeering, the average person -- and the general welfare -- is always totally left out of the debate. 

Oh but that's okay. Ahram had warned, after all, that security services would "forcefully respond to any attempts to disparage the safety and security of the nation." But like this? And resulting in coverage like this from the CS Monitor: "A referendum Wednesday that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's closest aides said would show the world his regime is moving toward democracy instead became a showcase of the regime's tough tactics to jail, harass, and intimidate its opponents." More news on activists and journalists being pushed and beaten from ABC... Plus, FT's sum up...

Meanwhile, Mubarak and his family vote in peace... while SBS reports an overall low turnout for the poll. 

Plus, the opposition is upset about Laura Bush's support for Mubarak. Did her comments give the government the green light to quash dissent? The Guardian seems to think it's all Laura's fault...

The people watching at home see most of this as a blur. And they will continue to, as long as the media -- all media -- make no attempt to tell the whole story. (Small examples: In the lead up to the referendum, and on the day it took place, the papers were filled with exhortations to go to your local poll station and vote; you didn't need to be registered -- an ID card would do. Untrue -- at least if the station was manned by a judge. Then you had to be on the list. But then again, if it wasn't manned by a judge, you could probably get away with it... 8 times even, as Wafd did (see zahma). In any case, most of the coverage ignored the bigger issue with the judges demanding more rights before agreeing to supervise the upcoming presidential elections that the referendum is just a lead up to...). 

Overall: It was an interesting, devastating experiment. Much like the political turmoil of the past period has all been. And the way the future will surely be. One only hopes that reason will play some part in the events to come.

More details in Arabic on zahma.com

DOMESTIC POLITICS
Jackson Diehl's latest in the Post paints the Muslim Brotherhood as the last remaining Islamist group in the Middle East not being let into the political process... (Now Egypt is being urged to "lead the way" in the region's political acceptance of Islamists...) The Post also focuses on the brotherhood after the recent arrests... (More brotherhood arrests.. extensions for leaders El-Erian and others... And earlier, even more brotherhood arrests...) Plus, an indecent brawl during pro and anti Mubarak protests at Al-Azhar.

Today's the day: The public will be voting on the referendum to amend article 76 of the constitution today... AP interviews the "man on the street", finds out he's very confused about what the referendum is all about. SF also does a roundup... The Washington Post's harsh anti-Mubarak story continues to paint Ayman Nour as a hero, describing a makeshift rally his supporters tried to hold in front of a downtown theater...

The US tries to explain its stance in the wake of Laura Bush's remarks... Laura calls Mubarak "bold", applauds his slow and steady approach to democracy... Plus, highlights from her speaking to women leaders and visiting the Bibliotheca.. And later, defending her remarks on the plane home (plus more Sesame Street details and a pic)...

German TV team detained for several hours for filming kefaya...

More Muslim brotherhood members arrested... Reuters says group is taking the blows in stride..

Referendum roundup
Voter turnout... AFP tries to predict/analyze voter turnout for Wednesday's referendum...

Lawsuits... "Lawsuits asking for a postponement of this week's referendum on a constitutional amendment changing the way the Egyptian president is chosen" are rejected by the courts..."

Observers not monitors... "Foreigners are free to observe voting in Egypt's first multi-candidate presidential election in September, but the government will not accept international monitors having any role in the process, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazief said Monday."

Mrs Bush's two cents... Washington Post on Laura' pyramids tour and positive comments about Mubarak.. More details on the Sesame Street appearance... Plus, a harsh reaction from a local commentator in the States, who thinks she should have kept her mouth shut...

Amending article 76: Opposition parties try for injunction on referendum...

Ayman Nour joins referendum boycott...

Pretty good BBC sum up of the political scene... Another agency looks at pro and anti Mubarak slogans...

Despite Nazif's optimism, one correspondent concludes "In Egypt today, the hour is late."

Laura's tour: "She will travel to Egypt, after mixing praise with gentle prodding on her way to the region by saying Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak should set an example to the Middle East with fair elections." More from the Post, including the interesting quotes themselves... Her five-day visit to the region -- which includes a guest appearance on Alam Simsim, the Egyptian equivalent of Sesame Street -- will feature Mrs Bush promoting freedom and supporting women and girls across the Middle East. More on the trip from Knight Ridder... 

Meanwhile, Egypt gets a bad gender gap score, and a critical commentary from Khaleej Times...Plus, Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW), a government-affiliated group, has expressed skepticism over the World Economic Forum (WEF) report stating that the country has the largest economic and social disparity between the sexes of almost 60 countries studied.

DOMESTIC POLITICS
More raw data from
Nazif's visit to the States...

This transcript of the Prime Minister's CFR appearance features this incredible bit:
"QUESTIONER: Yes. Mr. Prime Minister, my name is Khaled Dawoud from Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper. I was wondering, sir, whether you raised with President Bush this morning the issue of a few Egyptian prisoners who are kept in Guantanamo. I mean, in following up the controversy that we're having here in the United States about the torture of prisoners, and whether you're seeking them to be taken over to Egypt like the others that you've mentioned in the earlier report. Thank you very much.
NAZIF: No, that problem didn't come up in the meeting with the president today, but it's being dealt [with] through other channels.
QUESTIONER: But do you want the six Egyptians or seven Egyptians there back to Egypt, sir?
NAZIF: Excuse me?
QUESTIONER: Do you want the six or seven Egyptians--
NAZIF: Do I want them?
QUESTIONER: Yes, do you want them--
NAZIF: Depends how they look. I don't know. [Laughter]"

A classic case of different interpretations... 
Western press NYT and IHT portray US President Bush offering Prime Minister Nazif a free trade agreement as a reward for election monitoring and more reform... while most Egyptian papers say monitoring wasn't even brought up... 

Here's an interview Nazif gave to PBS that may provide the answer to that money question:
"MARGARET WARNER: And did he define what he meant by free and fair? He has said publicly, for instance, he's called on Egypt to allow international monitors. Did you discuss that?
AHMED NAZIF: He did mention it but we didn't discuss it in any detail. But I think the sense is we and the president as well share the view that we need to project to the world that this is a free and fair election. Now, it takes observers; it takes television cameras standing in front of polling stations, whatever it takes."

Plus, later in the interview, there was also this inevitable gem:
"MARGARET WARNER: Do you think that the way the system is set up for this election there will be a viable opponent to President Mubarak?
AHMED NAZIF: That's the big challenge... I think the president is very popular in Egypt; that if he decides to run again, that he will win with a comfortable majority. But, having said that, I'd very much like to see the process in place, see a candidate that comes out, not just to bad mouth the president, but to present an alternative, to present another problem, to say to Mr. Mubarak, you've been doing it this way, I'd like to do it that way; that kind of thing would be very healthy.
MARGARET WARNER: Might you be that kind of candidate in 2011?
AHMED NAZIF: That's not in my political agenda right now."

Brian Whitaker skewers the political scene in the Guardian, also penning a piece  about Egyptian police being "too forceful". AP story highlights the fact that the government is extremely unhappy with the US giving money to political groups, even though it takes money from the US itself. Kifaya, others, upset about Mubarak accusations in interview with Kuwaiti paper... Plus, Washington Post analysis of the Muslim Brotherhood is sure to elicit some reactions... And more tough talk on the same from CS Monitor...

Looking at 
the raw data
Election monitors mentioned twice in the White House press briefing following Prime Minister Nazif's meeting with Bush.
Here's one from the Q and A with the White House press secretary:
"Q: The free trade agreement  you're talking about with Egypt, would it be conditional on Egypt taking election reforms that you would like to see?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, it's important that they move forward on the political reform, and they had a very good -- the President and the Prime Minister had a very good discussion about that. And the President emphasized the importance of free elections where you're going to have multiple parties and you can have full campaigning. The President talked about the importance of that. And President Mubarak has taken an important step by saying, we're going to have competitive presidential elections this fall. And the President also emphasized the importance of international observers for that process, as well, to show the world that it is free --"

Here's the White House pic of the Nazif-Bush handshake, with portraits of Abe Lincoln and George Washington staring them down... a Reuters story about the meeting... and more FTA details from Daily Star... Plus, don't miss Wafd's critical take on zahma.com

Nazif in Washington...
Washington Times sums up the scene: "President George W. Bush and Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif meet at the White House Wednesday amid disappointment over Egyptian political reform measures but also amid the reality of needed Egyptian cooperation in the delicate Middle East peace process."

Washington Post sums up the scene if there's no real reform: "The principal losers will be not his opposition, but those who hope to save Egypt from political upheaval."

More Nazif spin from the LA Times. Plus, the prime minister is optimistic about an FTA with the US... And he tells USA Today that "Mubarak's son, Gamal, will not run for president this year but might run later. "Of course, it's unheard of that the son of a president would become a president," Nazif [then] joked in a clear reference to Bush." Here's the full transcript... which includes such gems as : "Q. How many people are in the Mogamma (a huge government building in downtown Cairo)? A. 20,000. In a year I may close it down. I'm actually thinking of turning it into a hotel."

Earlier Nazif was on Meet the Press. Here are some highlights: "MR. RUSSERT:  Will Egypt allow international monitors to oversee the campaign?
PRIME MIN. NAZIF:... Egypt is one of the few countries that has judiciary supervision of the elections.  That means that the judiciaries are the ones that take care of the elections.  Judges in Egypt do not--they feel that having foreigners sharing that with them will be an infringement on their own right of supervising the election.  So it's still a hot issue in Egypt.  I don't think...
MR. RUSSERT:  ... you mentioned the judges.  They met yesterday, Mr. Prime Minister, and said that the election is "a fraud," and they are boycotting it because they do not think it will be a full and free and fair election.
PRIME MIN. NAZIF:  I don't think that they meant that it's fraud.  I'm not sure if this is an accurate code.  But I think what they said...
MR. RUSSERT:  That's the word that they used, and they cheered when they heard it.
PRIME MIN. NAZIF:  What they said is that they would like to have more power in supervising the elections, which makes my point.  They're looking for having complete power in supervising the elections themselves.  Now, we didn't say no about that.  We just said that it's a process that has to take place through law.  Now, a new law will be coming out, because we're changing our constitution on May 25.  After that, we'll have to debate that law in parliament and make sure that it provides us with that.  The emphasis is we are, the government is, Mr. President Mubarak is, for a free and fair election."
MR. RUSSERT:  So the minor parties will be able to run.  They'll have complete and fair coverage in the state-controlled media, access to the airwaves, access to the ballot?
PRIME MIN. NAZIF:  As head of the Egyptian government, I promise you, Tim, this will be the case."

Boycotting 76
The Wafd, Tagammu and Nasserist opposition parties call to boycott the May 25 referendum... 

Arab News looks at why Egyptian expats will not be allowed to vote... Plus, there's an image of the new Article 76 ballot on zahma.com

Interesting comparison
The Daily Star's Ramy Khoury writes: "Having experienced the street sentiments of demonstrators and talked with leading activists in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Bahrain and others, I would suggest that the most useful place to look for the inspirations that drive Arab democracy activists these days is not the speeches of U.S. President George W. Bush, but rather the protest movements among American civil-rights activists in the period 1956-1964. The emotional and political sentiments that drive Arabs today to confront their autocratic rulers, security services, or foreign occupiers are almost identical with the instinct for political liberty and human dignity that inspired the civil rights movement in the United States two generations ago."

Confusion over what Mubarak may or may not have said in the Kuwaiti interview about Gamal...

In an interview with a Kuwaiti newspaper President Mubarak says protests are hurting Egypt's economy and will scare investors away... Plus, this is what Mubarak said about the Muslim Brotherhood -- "The people here are past the phase of misleading and they understand how things go..." You can find Mubarak's most interesting quotes on zahma.com.

Referendum on multi candidate presidential elections set for May 25 -- lots of calls to boycott it... Opposition press reacts with dismay... Brotherhood will not nominate a candidate; it's leader tells press he doesn't agree with kefaya's tactics... The brotherhood also denies overthrow plans...Meanwhile, more brotherhood arrests... and AP looks a bit closer at the banned group

Cairo judges insist on totally independent supervision... or else they will boycott elections. (more from BBC)... Destour reported in this this week's edition that the US will probably tell Nazif -- who's visiting Washington now -- to listen to the judges or else... The paper says it got its information from an "Egyptian thinker" who is currently living in the US and who met with Dick Cheney on 9 May...

New dynamic? Press notices top officials defending themselves instead of staying silent, including very telling comments from Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif to AP on the eve of his US trip -- "It doesn't help a lot when somebody takes a courageous step, and the first thing he faces is skepticism."... Nazif, like Mubarak, urges gradual rather than hasty reform...  FT harsh on false reform moves... Economist thinks something more real might be stirring...

US-EGYPT RELATIONS
U.S. President Bush touched a raw nerve when he suggested the Egyptian government, one of Washington's best friends in the Arab world, accept international monitoring of presidential elections this year. "It is simply difficult to accept or swallow the idea that the U.S. administration wants to change the regime in Egypt ... Washington is eyeing positively President Hosni Mubarak's reforms," said Nazif, who is scheduled to visit Washington next week. The Guardian: "Egypt is an important US ally in the region, they say, and the last thing Washington wants is to enhance the power of the Muslim Brotherhood."

Amending 76
LA Times: "It means there is no change in the system," said Mohammed Sayed Said, an analyst at the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, a think tank. "Most people say, 'Why bother? Why did the president propose the amendment?' He gave with the right hand, and they took away with the left hand."

CS Monitor's pessimistic take...

NY Times: This is a political trick which makes a mockery of democracy," said Mostapha K. al-Sayyid, a political science professor at the American University of Cairo...

Chinese media's take: "It will not affect Mubarak." Plus, CNN's brotherhood-centric take on the debate that's about to end... FT's title is the best -- "Mubarak's party to vet his opponent" 

Impossible conditions... Reuters reports that lots of political forces agree about how hard it will be to field presidential candidates based on the rules parliament has set down regarding amending article 76 of the constitution to allow direct multi party elections as promised by Mubarak... Nour hints at bowing out of the contest after supposed assassination attempt... Check out this telling summation of US policy on election reform in Egypt, courtesy of VOA... Compare with what the so-called  "New Opposition" means to the Chicago Times -- "As you know, Bush imagines freedom will go hand in hand with peace for Israel. But in reality, freedom will mean more resistance to American policies in the region," Qandil said.

A whirlwind tour
Washington Times exposes the corruption rumors surrounding Ayman Nour... Chicago Times celebrates Nour and others fighting for change... Nawal El-Saadawi complaining about being barred for campaigning for president... CS Monitor looks at women in Egyptian and Arab politics... LA Times looks at what the judges want. Pat Buchanan predicts the triumph of anti-Western Islamism in Egypt and elsewhere if democracy rules... A little late, but a fun read nonetheless -- LA Times take on the Mubarak interview.

Meanwhile, 50 more Muslim brothers rounded up, and the brotherhood vows to continue protesting despite arrests... Plus, a photo of brotherhood leader Akef from Reuters... Essam El-Erian among senior Muslim brotherhood members taken into custody, announced his decision to challenge Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the September election, his lawyer said Saturday, but the powerful Islamist group said it had not endorsed the challenger....

Plus, hundreds of Egyptian judges have rejected U.S. President George W. Bush's call for international monitoring of Egypt's September presidential elections, saying they will do the job themselves... Earlier reports had indicated that Bush, on a visit to Riga, Latvia, spoke of the elections in the Middle East this year, including in Egypt. "That election should proceed with international monitors and with rules that allow a real campaign," Bush noted.  

Washington Times decides to assess Egypt's seriousness about refrom... "Even our government handler is talking freely about the good and bad things the government has done." The paper also comes clean about accepting the invitation from Egypt...  As part of the Washington Times coverage, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif talks politics... Some of the telling quotes: "There has been a little turbulence the last few months because of Ayman Nour, [whose arrest was] an unfortunate event. I would have preferred that it had not happened in the first place... [but] it is not a political prosecution." ... "Mr. Nazif acknowledged that some Egyptians will be unhappy if the lack of a competitive race leads to a fifth term for Mr. Mubarak, already in office for 24 years...  But, he said, "I think President Mubarak as a person has national acceptance. People will be angry because they want change, not because it's President Mubarak."

Nazif also tries to impress Knight Ridder at his smart village office... and previews his upcoming trip to the US with top editors... 

Attack updates...
Key Independent sum up of Cairo post terror incidents:
"Islamist groups in Egypt have undoubtedly been radicalised by the American occupation of Iraq and have become markedly more hostile to Westerners. Domestic frustrations are also a likely factor."

UK ups its travel advisory warning level... Italian site carries Moheet linkage of Cairo and Doha attacks...

An Australian report concludes with this chilling paragraph:
"It is the worst of times to be launching a tentative experiment in political relaxation, and yet that is just what Egypt's Western allies are clamouring for. As the smoke from Saturday's attacks clears, the context of Egypt only becomes more murky. And the capacity of terrorism to disrupt Arab regimes without destroying them is highlighted once more."

CNN says 200 people from the home villages of the attackers have been detained. Another Reuters story discusses the "specter of militancy" returning to Cairo... BBC reports on a government denial that the attacks represent a return to violence; they are categorized instead as related to a security crackdown on the group that planned the Muski bomb... Jazeera coverage says much the same, extensively quoting commentators as saying that the way police handle investigations (mass detentions, torture, etc) had a lot to do with it. As if on cue, here's a Reuters's story saying the cousin of one of those accused in the Muski attack died while in police custody... And here's more on the attackers' family connections...

A foreboding sentence in a Time story:
"The police believe that the symbol-rich site of Yassin's attack — a central square facing Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party headquarters, the famed Egyptian Museum that contains the treasure of Tutankhamen and a skyscraper hotel named for Egypt's most powerful ancient pharaoh, Ramses — was chosen at random."

More Saturday fallout
The typical story -- AP looks at how an ordinary happy teenager turned into an angry fundamentalist... AFP focuses on the women terrorists factor... The Abdalla Azzam brigades take responsibility...

The complicated situation on the street... Plus, this story says "Egypt has stepped up security around its popular tourist sites. The tourism ministry had set up a crisis cell to monitor developments and make contact with foreign tour operators." Reuters says tourists are unfazed and will remain... Plus, predictions on possible effects on tourism from UK's Independent...

And finally, an AP sum up of Saturday's sordid events... 

Meanwhile, is there a strange deal being drawn with the brotherhood? Reuters talks to a top member about demo and elections plans...

K-R tackles Arish mass arrests story..

Mubarak will announce whether or not to run after the referendum on constitution article 76.

Incisive Daily Star commentary on the realities of reform. Another interesting take from All Africa

Pakistani paper features intense discussion of emergency laws

And, suddenly, out of the blue, Reuters in London reports on Mohmaed Farid Hassanein helping to form a campaign seeking to put pressure on Egypt to reform from abroad...

"Change for Change ... Not for Bush," is one of the slogans that were yelled at a 3-400 person American University in Cairo protest covered by the press. Short entries by AP and AFP.

Hassan Abu Taleb in Hayat analyzes the security situation...

AFP sums up the increasing defiance on the political scene... CS Monitor looks at the irony in the fact that most of the demonstrators being feted by the US as nascent democratizers are actually very anti US... Activists talk to Reuters about police abuse... Plus, an interesting mix of people fighting to eliminate the emergency laws...

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