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October 18th, 2005

   

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Egyptian Parliamentary Elections

A small portrait of the translator Karim Elsahy · 16:12 · Middle East & North Africa

The parliamentary elections Egyptians face next month may very well be more substantial than the first Presidential one they encountered last month. Through these elections many hope to influence the stranglehold the National Democratic Party (NDP) has on both the upper and lower houses of parliament (upwards of 85%). For an overall view on the status, significance, as well as the movements related to the elections read “Egyptian Presidential Candidates, Bloggers, and Parliamentary Elections” submitted to Egypt Today for publication.

Sandmonkey reports on how the fragmented opposition is uniting in a coalition against the NDP. This coalition is short Al Ghad however; whose leader took a strong second in the previous presidential elections. Ramblefish reports on inter-turmoil at Al Ghad house.

Freedom for Egyptians posts on Mubarak promising free and fair elections though Liberals Against Terrorism and The Arabist Network point to the new ICG report on Egypt to counter such an argument.

Miss Mabrouk mentions a “demonstration for fair and free parliamentary elections … organized by the Muslim Brotherhood's student organization.” though many are skeptical.

A new movement dubbed Itharak.com is geared towards getting out the vote and minimizing the NDP members of parliament. This new site is set up around three main points it encourages all Egyptians, particularly those between 18 and 23 (since they are pre-registered) to endorse:

1/ Go register for a voters card (one of the major obstacles in the last election as you can only apply in November)

2/ Go vote for anyone in this Novembers Parliamentary elections other than the NDP candidate (especially if the candidate is an incumbent).

3/Go get three others to pledge to do the same.

Also banners for Itharak.com are available here.

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Tunisia: Hunger Strike and Censorship

Haitham Sabbah · 13:11 · Middle East & North Africa

Neila Charchour Hachicha writes that the PLM’s web site, which was the unique political website accessible in Tunisia has been censored today.

“However we want you to get the declaration of the 7 political personnalities who undertook today October 18th 2005 an unllimited hunger strike. We need the help of all friends to spread the message below”, Neila said.

The action to censor the Parti Libéral Méditerranéen (Mediterranean Liberal Party) seems to have come after the Party published CALL TO THE PUBLIC OPINION. In this call, representatives of associations from the civil society and political parties, decided to undertake an unlimited hunger strike as from October 18th, 2005. The hunger strikers launch a pressing call to all the democratic forces, associations, parties, independent personalities, to mobilize around this strike, bring any form of support to it and make succeed its claims, which are a prelude to Reforms and Democratic Change.

They claim:

1. Freedom of association by:

  • * Recognizing all associations and parties that claim a legal existence
  • * Removing all obstacles, which block the activity of associations and legally recognized parties, in particular the Tunisian Association of the Magistrates, the Tunisian League of Human Rights and the Tunisian Journalists Syndicate.

    • 2. Freedom for the press and the media by:

  • * Stopping the censure striking the written media, publications and Internet sites
  • * Suspending pressures exerted on journalists
  • * Opening the audio-visual media to all schools of thought
  • * Instituting an independent and plural authority, which would deal with the control of this public utility
  • * Giving receipts to all newspapers which ask for the authorization to publish (while waiting for the abrogation of this unjust measure).

    • 3. The immediate release of political prisoners

  • * The release of all political prisoners, Islamists, Net surfers, young people wrongfully accused of terrorism as well as the release of the lawyer Mohammed Abbou and the adoption of a general amnesty law.

    • The hunger strikers launch a pressing call to all the democratic forces, associations, parties, independent personalities, to mobilize around this strike, bring any form of support to it and make succeed its claims, which are a prelude to Reforms and Democratic Change.

    Update: Blog (French) and Photos of Hunger Strike.

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    Iranian human rights activist is Blogging : She survived Prison, Exile and Censorship

    Farid Pouya · 04:13 · Middle East & North Africa
    lingua → zht · zhs

    There are several Iranian blogs which have human rights issues as their main reason to exist. There are different “types” of these blogs: Penlog is a collective blog which wants to protect bloggers and fight against censorship. Another “type” is a one subject blog such as releaseGanji. It is just covering news about Akbar Ganji , jailed journalist, and his hunger strike. It is difficult to talk about Iranian politics, social life and even culture and not mentioning human rights’ questions. Defending political prisoners, crying against censorship are well present in many Iranian blogs whose writers are either in Iran or outside country.

    I would like to introduce one human rights activist who is blogging in Farsi: Mrs.Mehrangize Kar. She and her husband, Siamak Pourzand, have been active as human rights activists and journalists for years and both paid a high price for that.

    Mehrangize Kar, is living in the USA or in other words in exile.This human rights lawyer was famous, before revolution, for her articles and her style of writing. She was jailed in Iran after participating in a conference with Ganji and some other Iranian intellectuals and human rights activists in Germany. She survived cancer, isolated cell and finally found herself in exile. She has been in the West for four years and she can not go back to Iran. She is lecturing in different American universities about democracy in Iran among other subjects. She says she has no possibility to publish her works in Iran. Then she turned to blogging :

    I want to survive. I was not follower of this way ( internet). I belong to paper and…pen generation. But there is no other solution….I am 60 years old with zero technical knowledge. Young people helped me and opened this door for me….

    We can welcome her and wish her the best.

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