Egyptians brace for historical parliamentary vote
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Xinhua, November 28, 2011
Eligible Egyptians will go to the polls in nine out of 27 governorates on Monday in the first stage of their historic parliamentary elections after the fall of ex-president Hosni Mubarak in February.
"You should choose the one whom you trust and has the ability to monitor the government, not only the one who offers you services, as offering services isn't his main duty," state Nile TV said in its awareness campaign on Sunday.
However, offering services was one of the major ways the parties used to promote themselves.
The liberal Wafd Party launched medical convoys in the country's cities to offer free medical examination and then paid the prescription.
"Wafd is the most famous liberal, moderate party, and I think it's time for it to serve the country in a right way after the revolution, I support liberals, so I will support Wafd who is the most experienced one," Eman Hassan, 44, told Xinhua.
Wafd's rival, Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), also adopted the way of serving the public to win their trust.
It innovated a new way of serving the candidates during the poll days by providing the voters with buses to take them to their constituencies, and with ushers in every city to indicate the people to their right place to vote.
"Freedom and Justice Party is affiliate to the Muslim Brotherhood, who was suppressed by a way or another during the former regime, its their time to prove for us their loyalty to the public, not the chairs, and I will give them my vote to have the chance", said Sherif Talat, 34 to Xinhua.
One of the most remarkable actions the FJP took during his campaign is the "Car of Dreams", where the Muslim Brotherhood held in different spots of Cairo and asked the people to note what they dream of and paste it on the car.
"The Muslim Brotherhood group for me has all the advantages to be worthy of my vote, they are so matured politically that they can take the country to safety. They have the modernism in their process encouraging the science and development, and at the same time they are religious keen on exalting Islam in the world, for that we will vote them," said Zeiad Henedy 24, to Xinhua.
The polls came after days of protests since Nov. 18 which have left 42 dead and more than 3,200 injured. Essam Sharaf's cabinet resigned and a new cabinet is under formation under the newly appointed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri, who led the government from 1996 to 1999 under the Mabarak regime.
But the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took over power from Mubarak on Feb.11, insisted the elections be held on time, in order to push forward the transitional process. The People's Assembly vote will last until Jan. 10 over three stages. The Shura Council will be held from late Jan. to early March. And the presidential polls will be held before June 30.
A recent survey by a social and criminal affairs research center in Egypt indicated 80 percent of the interviewees said they would cast votes. And 80 percent of those who wanted to vote said the polls would be relatively fair and transparent. The turnout is forecast to be much higher than the previous ones.
Ahmed Sayeed, a 19-year-old student in Cairo University, said it was the first time for him to have the right to vote and that his vote will be given to the parties he trusted.
"Now, the whole country is in a kind of recession. I really hope to select those who could serve the people's interests and end the continuous social turmoil completely," he told Xinhua.
