Monitor-Me.. Monitor-Me-Not.. Monitor-Me.. Monitor-Me-Not
This whole election monitoring flip-flop is getting on my nerves..
If there's anything worse than Hosni's expected win its him winning a sham election..
Hell if I'm the only one hating the guy then so be it.. let his ass take the shape of that chair.. but let there be a little gleam of hope for the future too.. Let it be a fair election... Oh how I hope...
Watching the "history" of this election monitoring issue makes me lose hope.. and just slaps me in the face on how naive I can be sometimes.. fair elections.. :-/
1) MONITORING?
When: 13th May
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Gamal Mubarak comments on International Election Monitoring in a press conference after a meeting of the NDP's Supreme Policy Council
Headline:
Gamal Mubarak: International Monitoring of Elections has not been decided yet
Main Quotes:
[...]And he added through the press conference after the meeting of the Supreme Policies Council yesterday, that issue of calling international observers for the presidential elections was not presented in the discussions, pointing that there is a dialogue in the society concerning this subject and in response to a question about whether president Mubarak will call international observers,
the Political Secretary answered: I do not have any information or authority to answer this question[...]
2) MONITOR-ME-NOT (FLIP)
When: 5th June
From: [Al-]Ahram.org.eg
Article Link: here
Incident: Safwat El-Sherif after a "National Dialogue" meeting
Headline:
El Sherif after conclusion of the national dialogue: The parties have confirmed their refusal to international monitoring of the presidential elections ....
Important Quotes:
[...]El Sherif clarified that the participating parties also agreed on the ban against receiving of any moneys from any foreign authorities, and the refusal of any attempt to intervene or comment on the internal affairs of Egypt, including the international supervision of the elections[...]
3) MONITOR-ME (FLOP)
When: 16th June
From: AlMesryoon.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Leaks of the results of Osama el Baz's (Mubarak's Political Advisor) confidential visit to the US in mid July
Heading:
El Baz Promises America to Appease the Judges and Accept Election Monitoring
The Important Quotes:
[...]But despite the secrecy from the Egyptian and American sides concerning the topics and results of the visit some news and reports which have leaked to the media here and there could be summarized as follows :
[...]
Also Egypt will accept international observers for the supervision over the elections[...]
The American media had noted that Egypt wanted to prove to the American administration its sincere intention by declaring its complete acceptance of the demands of the judges as well as declaring the appointment of a civil vice president after the presidential elections. Furthermore by confirming that Gamal Mubarak does not intent to undertake power after his father and also by hinting to accepting the idea of international observers.
4) MONITOR-ME-NOT (FLIP)
When: 29th June
From: [Al-]Ahram.org.eg
Article Link: here
Incident: Ahmed Abul Gheith (Egyptian Foreign Minister) issuing comments to the press
Headline:
Abul Gheith: Egypt will hold presidential elections marked by transparency
Moneyshot:
[Regarding the upcoming elections..] Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Gheith, confirmed that Egypt will not accept the imposition of external ideas... [...]
If you have any doubt on what he meant by "external ideas" we can take a look at an earlier article:
When: 20th June
From: AlMesryoon.com
Article Link: here
Incident: AlMesryoon.com runs an online poll who's results contradict Abul Gheith
Headline:
78% of Egyptians support International Monitoring of the Elections
Main Quotes:
[...]This comes at a time when the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheith had announced two days ago that the majority of Egyptians are against the idea of the foreign monitoring of the first presidential elections which are to be held this year. He also added that Egyptians have a special sensativity to this matter. But he also added that this issue concerns the Egyptian society and the Egyptian government will decide its opinion regarding it in suitable time[...]
5) MONITOR-ME (FLOP)
When: 11th August
From: [Al-]Ahram.org.eg
Article Link: here
Incident: Daily Presidential Bullshit
Headline:
Mubarak demands the separation between the Executive Branch and the Party's work throughout the presidential elections
A committee in the Labour Union for the follow-up of the elections ..
And the national surveillance includes all of the headquarters
Main Quote:
[...]
Coordination and cooperation efforts for the monitoring of the national elections started yesterday between 4 coalitions of human rights groups, so that the monitoring would include 222 areas that would represent all election constituencies in Egypt.
6) MONITOR-ME-NOT (FLIP)
When: 17th August
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Reactions to the PEC chairman's comments
Headline:
A crisis between the Human Rights Organizations and the Election Committee
Important Quotes:
A crisis broke out between the Human Rights Organizations and the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) where the heads of the Human Rights Organizations denounced statements attributed to Counsellor Mamdouh Mare'e the head of the PEC which stressed on the prevention of the leakage of any information related to the election process in the next presidential elections to candidates, delegates or the dealing with the organizations of the civil society who declared the monitoring of the elections. The heads of the organizations confirmed their sticking to the position of monitoring the elections while warning that Marie'e's statements could help to the occurrence of exceeding in the election process the country seeks their hiding.
7) MONITOR-ME-MAYHEM
When: 18 August
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Civil Society Organizations in a press conference in response to the PEC chairman's comments the day before
Headline:
Egypt : the civil society organizations are sueing the chairman of the presidential election commission
Main Quote:
The civil society organizations in Egypt decided to bring an urgent lawsuit in front of the administrative justice against the chairman of the Presidential Elections Supreme Committee because of his refusal of allowing them to monitor the elections.
When: 28 August
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Civil Society Organizations go ahead with lawsuit procedures
Headline:
The Human Rights Organizations appeal against the prevention from following on the elections
Main Quotes:
Yesterday the Election Monitoring National Campaign started appeal measures against the chairman of the Presidential Election Commission's decision regarding the prevention of civil society institutions from the following of the election process in a lawsuit that the four organizations forming the campaign raised: the Arab organization of criminal reform, the Democratic Development Group, the Society of Democratic Dialogue for Human Rights Center and the Al-Andalus Center for Reconciliation Studies[...]
So (in case you weren't following - and I wouldn't be surprised) first they hint about international monitors.. then they say no international monitors because of "Egyptian sensitivity" which I have no idea what the fuck they're talking about and which was totally contradicted by the poll results (ok nothing even remotely near scientific but I'd want to see the poll from which they determined this "sensitivity" bullshit)... then after a little flip-flopping they finally determine that they will not accept "foreign intervention"... ok fine so you would think that would allow local organizations to do the monitoring.. but then the big-ass chairman of the PEC says that the organizations will not be allowed to follow the election proceedings ... WHY?
If there's anything worse than Hosni's expected win its him winning a sham election..
Hell if I'm the only one hating the guy then so be it.. let his ass take the shape of that chair.. but let there be a little gleam of hope for the future too.. Let it be a fair election... Oh how I hope...
Watching the "history" of this election monitoring issue makes me lose hope.. and just slaps me in the face on how naive I can be sometimes.. fair elections.. :-/
1) MONITORING?
When: 13th May
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Gamal Mubarak comments on International Election Monitoring in a press conference after a meeting of the NDP's Supreme Policy Council
Headline:
Gamal Mubarak: International Monitoring of Elections has not been decided yet
Main Quotes:
[...]And he added through the press conference after the meeting of the Supreme Policies Council yesterday, that issue of calling international observers for the presidential elections was not presented in the discussions, pointing that there is a dialogue in the society concerning this subject and in response to a question about whether president Mubarak will call international observers,
the Political Secretary answered: I do not have any information or authority to answer this question[...]
2) MONITOR-ME-NOT (FLIP)
When: 5th June
From: [Al-]Ahram.org.eg
Article Link: here
Incident: Safwat El-Sherif after a "National Dialogue" meeting
Headline:
El Sherif after conclusion of the national dialogue: The parties have confirmed their refusal to international monitoring of the presidential elections ....
Important Quotes:
[...]El Sherif clarified that the participating parties also agreed on the ban against receiving of any moneys from any foreign authorities, and the refusal of any attempt to intervene or comment on the internal affairs of Egypt, including the international supervision of the elections[...]
3) MONITOR-ME (FLOP)
When: 16th June
From: AlMesryoon.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Leaks of the results of Osama el Baz's (Mubarak's Political Advisor) confidential visit to the US in mid July
Heading:
El Baz Promises America to Appease the Judges and Accept Election Monitoring
The Important Quotes:
[...]But despite the secrecy from the Egyptian and American sides concerning the topics and results of the visit some news and reports which have leaked to the media here and there could be summarized as follows :
[...]
Also Egypt will accept international observers for the supervision over the elections[...]
The American media had noted that Egypt wanted to prove to the American administration its sincere intention by declaring its complete acceptance of the demands of the judges as well as declaring the appointment of a civil vice president after the presidential elections. Furthermore by confirming that Gamal Mubarak does not intent to undertake power after his father and also by hinting to accepting the idea of international observers.
4) MONITOR-ME-NOT (FLIP)
When: 29th June
From: [Al-]Ahram.org.eg
Article Link: here
Incident: Ahmed Abul Gheith (Egyptian Foreign Minister) issuing comments to the press
Headline:
Abul Gheith: Egypt will hold presidential elections marked by transparency
Moneyshot:
[Regarding the upcoming elections..] Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Gheith, confirmed that Egypt will not accept the imposition of external ideas... [...]
If you have any doubt on what he meant by "external ideas" we can take a look at an earlier article:
When: 20th June
From: AlMesryoon.com
Article Link: here
Incident: AlMesryoon.com runs an online poll who's results contradict Abul Gheith
Headline:
78% of Egyptians support International Monitoring of the Elections
Main Quotes:
[...]This comes at a time when the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheith had announced two days ago that the majority of Egyptians are against the idea of the foreign monitoring of the first presidential elections which are to be held this year. He also added that Egyptians have a special sensativity to this matter. But he also added that this issue concerns the Egyptian society and the Egyptian government will decide its opinion regarding it in suitable time[...]
5) MONITOR-ME (FLOP)
When: 11th August
From: [Al-]Ahram.org.eg
Article Link: here
Incident: Daily Presidential Bullshit
Headline:
Mubarak demands the separation between the Executive Branch and the Party's work throughout the presidential elections
A committee in the Labour Union for the follow-up of the elections ..
And the national surveillance includes all of the headquarters
Main Quote:
[...]
Coordination and cooperation efforts for the monitoring of the national elections started yesterday between 4 coalitions of human rights groups, so that the monitoring would include 222 areas that would represent all election constituencies in Egypt.
6) MONITOR-ME-NOT (FLIP)
When: 17th August
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Reactions to the PEC chairman's comments
Headline:
A crisis between the Human Rights Organizations and the Election Committee
Important Quotes:
A crisis broke out between the Human Rights Organizations and the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) where the heads of the Human Rights Organizations denounced statements attributed to Counsellor Mamdouh Mare'e the head of the PEC which stressed on the prevention of the leakage of any information related to the election process in the next presidential elections to candidates, delegates or the dealing with the organizations of the civil society who declared the monitoring of the elections. The heads of the organizations confirmed their sticking to the position of monitoring the elections while warning that Marie'e's statements could help to the occurrence of exceeding in the election process the country seeks their hiding.
7) MONITOR-ME-MAYHEM
When: 18 August
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Civil Society Organizations in a press conference in response to the PEC chairman's comments the day before
Headline:
Egypt : the civil society organizations are sueing the chairman of the presidential election commission
Main Quote:
The civil society organizations in Egypt decided to bring an urgent lawsuit in front of the administrative justice against the chairman of the Presidential Elections Supreme Committee because of his refusal of allowing them to monitor the elections.
When: 28 August
From: MisrAlArabia.com
Article Link: here
Incident: Civil Society Organizations go ahead with lawsuit procedures
Headline:
The Human Rights Organizations appeal against the prevention from following on the elections
Main Quotes:
Yesterday the Election Monitoring National Campaign started appeal measures against the chairman of the Presidential Election Commission's decision regarding the prevention of civil society institutions from the following of the election process in a lawsuit that the four organizations forming the campaign raised: the Arab organization of criminal reform, the Democratic Development Group, the Society of Democratic Dialogue for Human Rights Center and the Al-Andalus Center for Reconciliation Studies[...]
So (in case you weren't following - and I wouldn't be surprised) first they hint about international monitors.. then they say no international monitors because of "Egyptian sensitivity" which I have no idea what the fuck they're talking about and which was totally contradicted by the poll results (ok nothing even remotely near scientific but I'd want to see the poll from which they determined this "sensitivity" bullshit)... then after a little flip-flopping they finally determine that they will not accept "foreign intervention"... ok fine so you would think that would allow local organizations to do the monitoring.. but then the big-ass chairman of the PEC says that the organizations will not be allowed to follow the election proceedings ... WHY?
WELL 'CAUSE IT'S A FUCKING ELECTION JUST LIKE THE SHAM REFERENDUM THAT STARTED THE ELECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE
When will we ever live in an honest respectable civilized community?
Now the whole issue is with the courts.. I will add the court date to the calendar once I find it out.
posted by wutever at 6:35 PM
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