Widespread illiteracy and deep scepticism bred by three decades of managed politics under Mubarak make it hard to win over voters by setting out manifestos of policy promises. God bless them and him,” said Sherif al-Din, who was cycling around the Delta town of Tanta handing out Mursi flyers. “Mursi is a Brotherhood man and this group is the one that hires our kids and brings us goods that we don’t find in the market. “My dear friend here will do the same, won’t you?” he said, turning to a 40-year-old street trader, Mohamed Sherif al-Din. No one served us better than the Brotherhood,” said Ahmed Youssef, a 41-year-old employee in a state telephone office in the large Delta town of Tanta. ![]() “God willing, I will vote for them and most people in the town will do so as well. In Nile Delta towns, hit by an economic crisis since Mubarak’s fall, that has helped win over voters. Many expect Egypt’s army to remain influent for years.Īlthough the Brotherhood now dominates parliament, it has achieved little influence over an army-backed government still struggling with the turmoil sparked by Mubarak’s overthrow.īut it can still draw on a base of support built up from years of social work, even during the decades when it was banned by Mubarak. Maqsoud said Egypt should follow the example of Turkey, where the presidency and parliament were controlled by one party and where the influence of the army had been gradually rolled back. It would also confirm a trend of growing Islamist power at the ballot box since a wave of Arab uprisings began last year. Victory for Mursi would give it both executive and legislative power and consolidate a dramatic resurgence after decades of suppression by a succession of military strongmen. Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, a Salafi preacher, one of those on stage to endorse Mursi, made light of his reserve status, saying that no one went on a trip without a “spare tyre” and substitutes could win soccer matches. Critics see Mursi as a dull functionary who lacks the spark of leadership. Mursi was pitched into the race as the Brotherhood’s reserve candidate when its first choice was disqualified. “We will throw them in the rubbish bin of history.” “If they take a step to take us backwards, to forge the will (of the people) and fiddle with security, we know who they are,” he said. He promised to combat any corrupt hangers-on from Mubarak’s era. Listing places around Egypt, Mursi told the Cairo crowd: “We will take a serious step towards a better future, God willing.” Other candidates were also chasing votes on Sunday, doing last-minute TV interviews, holding final campaign news conferences and having their supporters take to the streets.īut the Brotherhood planned the slickest routine, with simultaneous rallies hosted in 25 locations across the nation. The election that starts on Wednesday is the last stage in a messy transition to democracy, overseen by generals who took control after Mubarak was driven out and have pledged to hand power to a new president by July 1. “God willing, Mursi will be president after the first round,” they chanted, Youths wearing Mursi t-shirts gathered at the front chanting “Mursi, Mursi” to the beat of drums. The large cohort of undecided voters also makes it difficult to pick a winner.īut Mursi has the backing of the Brotherhood’s broad grass-roots network of supporters which proved its ability to get out the vote when it won the biggest bloc in a recent parliamentary poll. The reliability of such polls are untested in a nation that until Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising in February last year had not had a free election for decades. One poll published last week in al-Masry al-Youm newspaper put Mursi behind three other front-runners but also said 37 percent of those surveyed had not made up their minds. With official campaigning ending on Sunday, fireworks cracked in the night air and flames flared from the front of the stage as Mursi arrived to address the audience of several thousand gathered in central Cairo, outside Abdeen palace. His main rivals include Islamists and ex-officials of former President Hosni Mubarak. Well-known Islamic preachers and soccer celebrities took to the podium in Cairo to endorse Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi, a relative latecomer to the race. CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood showed off its ability to rally support with choreographed campaign events throughout the nation on Sunday in a final push to clinch victory for its candidate in this week’s presidential election.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |