Egypt's new premier promises a technocratic cabinet

Author: Nehal El-Sherif

   Cairo (dpa) - Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi named the country's new prime minster on Tuesday, and he in turn promised to form a technocratic cabinet in coordination with the president.

   Hisham Qandil, who was the minister of water and irrigation in the outgoing cabinet, was asked by Morsi to form a new government, a presidential spokesman said.

   Qandil's designation comes around a month after Morsi was elected as the country's first civilian, and Islamist, president.

   The new premier said he shared Morsi's 64 objectives for his first 100 days in office, including security and fuel shortages.

   "Our priority in the coming period is to implement the 100-day plan ... and I will add to it the issue of (Nile) water, and improving services," Qandil was quoted by state media as saying.

   Morsi had vowed to name an independent figure as premier in a bid to reassure those who fear Islamist domination over the government.

   But Qandil's powers remain unclear, as the military council - which ruled Egypt for 16 months following the ouster of Hosny Mubarak last year - continues to control a great part of the country's politics.

   Qandil said that Morsi was in contact with the military council over the selection of a defence minister in the new cabinet.

   Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi has been Egypt's defence minister since 1991. He is also the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which controls the legislative powers and budget until a new parliament is elected.

   It is not clear who will have the upper hand in appointing other key ministers, such as the interior and foreign affairs portfolios.

   Qandil was appointed as minister of water and irrigation in July last year.

   He studied engineering in Cairo, then finished his postgraduate degree in the United States between 1988-93, at the universities of Utah and North Carolina.

   Qandil, 50, served as a senior irrigation engineer at the African Development Bank and was part of the Nile Basin Initiative launched in 1999 to develop the river in a cooperative manner.

   He recently accompanied Morsi on his visit to Ethiopia, to attend the African Union summit. The trip was also aimed at improving relations with African countries, and especially the Nile Basin countries, following disputes over Nile water shares.

Egypt's Morsi says Nasser's 1952 coup failed to bring democracy

Author: Nehal El-Sherif

   Cairo (dpa) - As Egypt commemorates on Monday the 60th anniversary of the 1952 coup led by the military, President Mohamed Morsi said that it failed to introduce democracy in the country.

   In a televised address, broadcast late Sunday, Morsi said that the July 23, 1952 revolution led by Gamal Abdul Nasser which overthrew King Farouk I, abolished the constitutional monarchy and established a republic, was a defining moment in the history of contemporary Egypt.

   But Morsi - Egypt's first democratically-elected president, added: "The Revolution (coup) succeeded in achieving some of its goals, but it stalled in others, particularly in laying the foundation for real democracy, which failed in Egypt in the last 30 years due to tyranny, fraud and injustice."

   Morsi, who was elected last month as the country's first civilian and Islamist president, delivered the speech against the background of a power struggle between his Muslim Brotherhood group and the country's military, which was brought to power by the coup 60 years ago.

   He added that "the second revolution in January 25, 2011 corrected the path."

   Tensions began between Morsi and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which ruled Egypt for 16 after the ouster of Hosny Mubarak, heightened when a constitutional court dissolved the Islamist-led lower house of parliament few days before Morsi was elected.

   Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood, held more than two-thirds of seats in parliament.

   Following the court ruling, the military council granted itself legislative powers in a constitutional declaration, raising fears that it was trying to hold on to power.

   Yet, Morsi praised the army for its role in last year's revolt.

   "The great Egyptian army sided with the people's choice and backed the building of the second republic on the basis of real freedom for all," he said.

   In 1952, a group of army officers who named themselves "The Free Officers Movement" overthrew the monarchy and established a republic.

   The Muslim Brotherhood were particularly persecuted during the rule of Nasser in the 1950s and 1960s. Although, the group remained to be banned until Mubarak's ouster last year, its members were largely tolerated and allowed to run for parliamentary elections as independents.
 
   Before Morsi, Egypt's first four presidents all came from the military. Over the past 60 years, the military has acquired vast economic interests, including construction companies, farms, food factories, clubs and a chain of gas stations.

   Their economic power has never been made public, though some analysts estimate they control up to 40 per cent of Egypt's economy.

Cooperation, democracy focus in Day 2 of Clinton's Egypt visit

Author: Nehal El-Sherif

   Cairo (dpa) - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton discussed cooperation and democratic transition with the head of Egypt's military council Hussein Tantawi on Sunday.

   Her meeting with Tantawi came one day after she said her country strongly supported Egypt's democratic transition and economic development.

   Clinton also met with civil society representatives and entrepreneurs during her visit to Cairo. She told the meeting that she came to Cairo to express a clear message that international human rights are for all people and that democracy is one of the most important of these rights.

   She said that the United States supports democracy, but that democracy is more than just elections. It means that the majority protects the rights of the minority.

   Clinton added that the United States is committed to supporting the rights of all Egyptians, both men and women, Muslims and Christians.

   Several Christian figures refused to attend the meeting with Clinton to protest what they call American interference in Egypt's internal policies.

   The al-Ahram newspaper reported that representatives of the Coptic Church and other figures said they objected to the United States' support to certain political groupings.

   Scores of activists Saturday held protests outside the presidential palace and the US embassy in central Cairo to protest Washington's foreign policy and what they described as the "US-Islamist alliance."

   Following her Sunday meetings in Cairo, Clinton went to the northern city of Alexandria to attend the inauguration of the US consulate there.

   On Saturday, Clinton became the first top Western official to visit President Mohammed Morsi since he took office late last month as the country's first ever freely elected civilian president.

   The US has been a long-time ally of Egypt, with 1.5 billion dollars of aid given annually to Cairo, most of which goes to the military.

   Her visit comes as Morsi is caught in a power struggle with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which ruled the country for around 16 months following the ouster of Hosny Mubarak last year.

   "I have come to Cairo to reaffirm the strong support of the United States for the Egyptian people and their democratic transition," Clinton said on Saturday.

   She is scheduled to head to Israel on Sunday evening, the last leg of a 12-day tour abroad.

   Washington has, over the past days, sent "calming" messages to Israel that its peace with Egypt faces no immediate threat, Israel Radio reported Sunday.

   During her meetings in Cairo, Clinton said she emphasized the importance of upholding international agreements.

   Israel has watched the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt with concern, fearing it could threaten the peace upheld by Mubarak.

   In her talks with Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and other senior officials, Clinton is expected to discuss the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process as well as Iran's nuclear programme.

Court overrules Morsi's decision to reinstate parliament

Authors: Nehal El-Sherif and Pol O Gradaigh

   Cairo (dpa) - Egypt's highest court Tuesday ruled against a decision by President Mohammed Morsi to reinstate the country's dissolved lower house of parliament.

   The official ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court came hours after the assembly convened for a short session, in response to a Sunday directive by President Mohammed Morsi.

   Senior judges had already, on Monday, insisted that Morsi's actions were illegal. However, that statement was not the official ruling.

   The most recent decision orders the implementation of the court's June ruling, which invalidated the electoral law upon which the parliamentary elections had been based. That, accordingly, dissolved the assembly.

   The decision angered thousands of Brotherhood loyalists gathered in central Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square.

   Protesters were shouting slogans against Ahmed al-Zend, the head of the Judges' Club, a judicial union, who had attacked Morsi and his decree reinstating the People's Assembly.

   The Brotherhood protesters were carrying flags and banners with Morsi's picture on them

   The decision is also expected to fuel tensions between Morsi, the judge's union and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled the country for a year and a half after Hosny Mubarak was ousted from power in a popular revolt last year.

   A presidential spokesman said Morsi was not expected to comment Tuesday evening.

   The brief convention of the People's Assembly earlier on Tuesday is widely seen as an attempt by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood to stake its claim to power.

   Parliamentary speaker Saad al-Katatni said lawmakers did not object to the Constitutional Court ruling, but wanted to seek a legal opinion from another court constitutionally tasked with determining the validity of membership in parliament.

   The assembly voted on a show of hands to refer the question to the Court of Cassation, following which al-Katatni closed the session.

   Many liberal and left-wing lawmakers, including members of the Wafd, Free Egyptians and Social Democratic parties, boycotted the meeting.

   Morsi's decree recalling parliament set the stage for a showdown between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, the organization that was banned under the old regime and which emerged as the largest political force after last year's revolution.

   "We are confident that all state institutions will respect all constitutional declarations," the military said in a statement.

   The military council granted itself legislative powers in a constitutional declaration after the court first dissolved parliament, raising fears that it was trying to hold on to power.

   Leading dissident Mohamed ElBaradei called for an urgent meeting between Morsi, judges and the military council, saying that the "conscience of the nation" demanded "a political and legal solution to avoid an explosion in the country."

   Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood, hold more than two-thirds of seats in parliament.

   Legal experts have been split over whether Morsi had the authority to reinstate the legislature.

Liberals make headway in Libyan election, party says

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Published on 08.07.2012

   Benghazi, Libya (dpa) - A liberal coalition has made big gains in Libya's first national elections since Moamer Gaddafi's ouster, the party said on Sunday.

   Salah al-Bishari, a coordinator at the National Forces Alliance's office in Benghazi city, quoted observers attending the count of votes cast in Saturday's National Congress election as saying that their grouping was in the lead.

   "The Alliance's results are good across Libya, but these are unofficial numbers and we cannot announce them now," he told dpa.

   The National Forces Alliance is a grouping of political parties led by Mahmoud Jibril, who was the rebel foreign minister during the conflict against Gaddafi last year.

   The chairman of the election commission, Nuri al-Abbar, told a news conference in Tripoli that an estimated 1.6 million people, out of 2.8 million registered voters, had cast their ballots to elect the 200-member assembly.

   He described the turnout as a "great success" as there were no major disruptions to the election process.

   Al-Abbar said results would come out in the coming days, adding that the commission would not endorse any "speculations" for the time being.

   The assembly, which will form a new government and maintain legislative powers for around one year, will consist of 120 directly elected members and 80 from contenders selected by political parties. Some 2,500 candidates were vying for the directly elected seats, with 1,202 names on the party lists.

   The head of the Benghazi office of the Islamist al-Watan party said he would prefer to wait for the official results to be announced by the commission.

   "There are leaked expectations for the results, but we will wait for the official announcement," said Mohamed Baeer, adding that his party had not presented any complaints to the commission.

   "We are optimistic, and no matter what the results are we will respect them and respect the choice of Libyan people," he added.

   While most Libyans celebrated the country's first election after decades of undemocratic rule under the late Gaddafi, there was scattered violence in eastern Libya.

Jubilation as Libyans vote for first time in decades

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Published on 08.07.2012

   Benghazi, Libya (dpa) - Libyans celebrated the country's first election on Saturday after decades of undemocratic rule under the late Moamer Gaddafi, despite scattered violence in eastern Libya.

   Dozens cheered with the national flag and honked their cars until the late hours of the day in the main streets in Benghazi. The celebration, which began at noon, saw voters congratulating each other and distributing sweets and chocolates at polling stations.

   "For Libya's sake," said Yasmin Moftah, 53, as she entered a polling station in the eastern city of Benghazi, birthplace of the uprising against Gaddafi.

   Election officials began to count the vote in most polling stations around an hour after balloting ended at 8 pm (1800 GMT).

   Nuri al-Abbar, chairman of the Election Commission, said that preliminary numbers put turnout around 60 per cent, as many voters queued at polling stations to elect a 200-seat National Congress tasked with appointing a new government.

   Around 2.8 million Libyans registered to elect the assembly, which will consist of 120 directly elected members and 80 from contenders selected by political parties. Results are not expected for several days.

   Some 2,500 candidates were vying for the directly elected seats, with 1,202 names on the party lists.

   "I came to exert my right to vote and take part in the democratic process here, which we were banned from doing for around half a century," said Siraj al-Shaikhi, 26, flashing his inked finger after casting his ballot.


   In some parts of the city, celebrations were replaced by gunshots as a small group of anti-election easterners, who support reviving Libya's federal system, protested and looted ballot boxes from a school and then burnt them.

   One person was killed and one was in coma after they were wounded in a random shooting in Benghazi, activists said.

   Shortly after the news of the shooting spread, security reinforcements arrived to secure the election commission headquarters in Benghazi. A senior member of the Special Forces told dpa that around 2,500 extra security personnel were deployed in Benghazi in the afternoon.

   The commission headquarters was stormed earlier in the week by angry demonstrators who burnt election materials to protest what they said was unfair distribution of seats.

   The western region including Tripoli has been allocated 106 seats. The eastern region, including the second-largest city, Benghazi, has 60 seats. The remaining seats are allocated to those representing residents of thinly populated southern Libya.

   the general mood was good in the capital Tripoli.

   Voters gathered in the city's Martyr's Square to celebrate, despite the soaring heat. The square, known as the Green Square during Gaddafi's reign, is where his supporters rallied during the conflict.

   US Senator John McCain told reporters during a visit to Tripoli that the polls were a "historic day for the people of Libya."

   "I was honoured and moved to witness this remarkable achievement by Libyans," he said.

   Many voters lined up outside polling stations. A Tripoli resident said he had waited for 90 minutes before being able to vote.

   "Everything is well-organized, and there are no reports of any disturbances here in Tripoli," Mohamed Ghoula, spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction Party, told dpa.

   Observers in polling stations said there were no complaints.

   Fourteen foreign monitoring groups and around 10,000 local monitors were observing the polls across Libya.

   Voting was going smoothly in the south-western city of Sabha, local media reported.

   The government declared Saturday and Sunday public holidays to encourage people to vote.

Voters defy calls for federalism in eastern Libya

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Published on 07.07.2012

   Benghazi, Libya (dpa) – Samira bin Ghazi woke up early on Saturday, wore her newest clothes and headed to the polls in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi to vote in the National Congress election, the first in about half a century in the North African country.

   “I would not have missed this moment for anything,” says the 53-year-old teacher, after she cast her ballot in the first election since the ouster of longtime leader Moamer Gaddafi.

   Anticipation took hold of Libya in the weeks leading to the elections, after people in the east expressed their discontent with the country’s interim rulers and announced their desire to restore the federal system in the country.

   “They have gone out of their minds,” says bin Ghazi, with an angry tone. “It will never happen. If we want to divide Libya, we would not have ousted Gaddafi.”


   But her anger soon disappears as she meets a friend inside the polling station. They congratulate each other and then start ululating a high-pitch trill, as if they were at a wedding.

   In March, tribal leaders in eastern Libya said they wanted the Cyrenaica region to be semi-autonomous, thus reviving the old federal system that was applied in the early 20th century.

   Back then, Libya was divided into three federations: Tripolitania in the north-western part of the country; Fezzan in the south-west; and the eastern Cyrenaica, which is known in Arabic as Barqa. The system was abolished after the 1967 coup led Gaddafi.

   That call was rejected by the National Transitional Council (NTC), which has been ruling the country for the past 15 months. It was also refuted by major political parties fielding candidates in Saturday’s elections.

   Hundreds of armed protesters favouring the federal system stormed the election commission in Benghazi a week before the election to protest the allocation of seats for the eastern province of Cyrenaica. They chanted pro-federalist slogans, demanding autonomy from the central government in Tripoli.

   A fire had destroyed ballot boxes and papers at a depot in the eastern city of Ajdabiya on Thursday.

   Naji al-Dinali, standing on the side of Dubai Square in Benghazi, took part in a series of recent protests calling for a boycot of the elections.

   “I will not vote, and we will have another revolution against the marginalization of the eastern cities,” he tells dpa.

   Al-Dinali plans to take part in more protests, which he says are peaceful, despite the group having received threats. On Friday he took part in a small sit-in in the same square.

   “We are peaceful demonstrators, but if they fire at us ... well, we have guns too you know,” he says.

   The NTC has faced many challenges over the past year; the most pressing is the uncontrolled weapons people kept since the armed conflict against Gaddafi ended in October. Clashes have erupted several times in southern areas, claiming the lives of scores of people.

   The proliferation of arms is the main problem worrying Basma al-Jihani. The 28-year-old social worker says she is fed up with the continuous sound of gunshots she hears every night.

   “Voting will allow us to elect the representatives who will help solve all of our problems,” she says.

   Libya’s interim leaders made a sudden constitutional change on Thursday, stripping the National Congress of the power to choose the committee tasked with drafting the country's new constitution.

   The constitutional committee would instead be elected directly by the people, in a move that is seen as trying to calm protesters in the east.

   While some people have welcomed the move, many are planning to hold more demonstrations against the elections.

   “The whole electoral law should change and allow Cyrenaica more seats,” says Fathi, a Benghazi resident in his 60s.

   “We want to have a voice in shaping our country in the future,” he add, though long lines standing outside polling stations reflected people’s eagerness to vote and move the country forward.

Amazigh minority struggle to be heard in post-Gaddafi Libya

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Published on 07.07.2012

   Tripoli (dpa) – Moamer Gaddafi’s overthrow has emboldened Libya’s Amazigh minority to highlight their heritage and push for greater recognition, after what they say is long decades of prosecution and marginalization.

   Under Gaddafi’s 42-year rule, Amazigh, better known as Berbers, say Libya was a hostile home as the now-slain dictator sought to obliterate their identity by officially banning their language and culture.

   There are no official statistics for Libya’s Amazigh, but they are believed to account for 5-10 per cent of the country’s 6.5 million population.

   Amazigh themselves say they are Libya’s indigenous inhabitants.

   With Gaddafi now belonging to the past, Amazigh are holding traditional festivals and proudly speaking their local language outside their community.

   They are also becoming politically active.

   “Our plan is to ensure there is equality among Libyans,” said Nasser Abouzakhar, an Amazigh academic who has founded the Libyan Party List for Freedom and Development, which is running in Saturday’s National Congress elections.
 
   “There are various cultures in Libya, and we are talking about the Libyan Amazigh, the Arabs and everybody,” he added.

   Abouzakhar, 45, says his party’s other goals include an efficient justice system and unbiased media.

   But a key aim of the party is to pressure the new government into adopting Tamazight as an official language, besides Arabic. The Gaddafi regime banned Tamazight in schools.

   The party’s campaigning is much weaker than those of rivals, say observers.

   “This was due to a shortage of money,” said Abouzakhar . “We tried to do our best to canvass voters through the social media. We have a Youtube channel and also used Facebook,” he told dpa at the group's small, spartanly-equipped office in central Tripoli.

   Behind him, there was a banner bedecked with two flags. The first is Libya’s national red, black and green flag, adopted by rebel fighters at the beginning of their revolt against Gaddafi in February last year.

   The other is blue, yellow and green with a red symbol that looks like a doubled-ended pitchfork. It is the flag of Libya's Amazigh.

   Abouzakhar’s party has only five candidates among more than 1,200 vying for the 80 seats allocated to party lists in the current election.

   Around 2,500 independent contenders are competing for the directly-elected 120 seats. None of them is thought to be Amazigh.
   
   Abouzakhar, a computer science professor, and a female candidate are running in Tripoli. Three other Amazigh are standing in Ubari in southern Libya.

   “Even if only one person made it to the (National) Congress, for us it is a matter of raising our voice,” he said.

   “Imagine one person speaking Tamazight and asking for a translator. That would be a blow to the government because it would reflect our rights,” said Abouzakhar in English.

Confusion in Libya on constitutional change ahead of election

By Nehal El-Sherif
Published on 06.07.2012

   Tripoli (dpa) - A significant constitutional amendment by Libya's outgoing ruling council left voters confused Friday, the eve of landmark elections.

   The country's outgoing rulers issued a law stipulating that members of a constituent authority - tasked with drafting the new constitution - must be elected separately, rather than appointed by the next national assembly as planned. The law was published in the official news agency late Thursday.

   The amendment marked a major change in the rules set for the National Congress, which voters will elect on Saturday, in the first nationwide election since Moamer Gaddafi's overthrow last year.

   However, many people in the capital, Tripoli, did not know about the amendment, and later said it does not change the way they planned to vote.

   Political parties said they did not reject the amendment, but criticized the ruling council for taking the decision right before the National Congress elections.

   Mohamed Tamu, spokesman of the National Front Party, says it reflects a "state of confusion by the ruling National Transitional Council."

   "It is a late, unplanned decision," he told dpa. "We do not think it will help solve any of Libya's problems."

   "We call on Libyan people to go after their democratic rights and vote tomorrow, so we would have a government to face our challenges," he added.

   Given the changes, the main task of the National Congress now is to replace the NTC, appoint a new government and start wielding legislative powers.

   "The amendment comes to fix a mistake committed earlier by the council, said Mohamed Ghoula, spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction Party.

   Candidates seeking a seat in the 200-strong National Congress stopped campaigning on Thursday, in line with a ban before Saturday's vote.

   The Interior Ministry said it had finalized a plan for securing the election, amid fears of violence - especially in the east, where some people are demanding a federal system.

   "Tomorrow, I will definitely vote," said Fayza Najih, a schoolteacher in Tripoli. "I want to have a voice in building my country."

   Others were not so sure.

   "I cannot see any candidate for whom I should vote. We do not know them," said Hisham, a telecommunications engineer.

   But, on the whole, few Libyans said they would not vote.

   Seats in the National Congress are divided between 120 directly elected members and 80 for contenders from party lists.

   Some 2,500 candidates are vying for the directly elected seats, while there are 1,202 names on the party lists.

   Around 2.7 million Libyans have registered to vote.

Libya's first-time voters have little to choose from

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
published on 06.07.2012

   Tripoli (dpa) – Abdul-Rahman al-Baazi stands in Tripoli's Old City market area, trying to convince passersby to vote for one of the  parties standing in Saturday's elections. Every time someone walks by, he starts to shout "Jibril, Jibril” with the help of three of his friends.


   Mahmoud Jibril is a former foreign minister, the first to be appointed during the conflict against forces loyal to the late dictator Moamer Gaddafi. Jibril himself is not running in the National Congress election, but he heads the National Forces Alliance, a coalition of liberal parties and non-profit organizations.

   Occasionally, a man or a woman will stop and chat with al-Baazi and his friends, but most continue to go about their business.

   “He is a real man,” says al-Baazi, 26, when asked why he supports Jibril’s alliance. “He is a civilized, educated person.”

   The campaigners work as guards with the Interior Ministry, where they earn around 500 Libyan dinars (400 dollars) a month - an amount described by a nearby shopkeeper as "more than enough."

   Strangely, they do not discuss the alliance's political platform or its ideology. They also refuse to discuss any of the other parties -  around a 100 of them have been founded since the ruling National Transitional Council issued the electoral law at the beginning of the year.

   “We do not know them, so we do not want them,” says al-Baazi’s friend, Ali Mabrouk.

   There is a sense of hope, enthusiasm and excitement in Tripoli. People are eager to elect the 200-member assembly that will rule the country for around a year, until a new constitution is finalized.

   The process is definitely a new experience for Libya, where political parties were banned for decades and political activities were only allowed to boast about Gaddafi’s alleged achievements since he seized power in 1969.

   “Political awareness is non-existent,” says Abdul-Rahman Al-Ejeili of the Libyan Youth Forum in Tripoli. “But there is great hope for the election, this is what is driving the people.”

   Al-Ejeili argues that all candidates “look alike,” and most of the 2.7 million registered voters are opting for well-known candidates. He says the choices confronting voters is between figures from the Muslim Brotherhood, most of whom were exiled under Gaddafi, and anti-Gaddafi rebels who took part last year's conflict.

   “There is no clear vision for the future by either the candidates or the voters,” he said.
  
   Ismail, a 30-year-old father of three, supports the Islamist al-Watan party, but does not know much about it.

   “The leader of the party is this pious man Belhaj,” he said, referring to Abdul Hakim Belhaj, a former anti-Gaddafi militant and fighter.

   Yet, despite denying suggestions that the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction party is a one man show, most supporters cannot say why they have chosen to back it in Saturday's election.

   “There is no clear difference between most parties taking part in the election," possibly because people have not had enough time to find out the finer details, says Basma Mahmoud, a 35-year-old teacher. However, Mahmoud does expect different political positions to emerge during future debates of the elected National Congress.

   With campaigning intensifying ahead of the vote, most candidates only discuss broad concepts like restoring security, rebuilding the army and working together to build a better Libya.

   Israa Murabit, who works with the Voice of Libyan Women, a pressure group, has spent the past weeks trying to raise awareness among women voters. But her task has been made any easier by the fact that there is little to distinguish the candidates.

   “All (of the election) campaigns are similar, and from talking to women who will vote, their first concern is security, proliferation of arms and controlling the borders,” Murabit says.

Islamist parties trying to gain ground in Libya elections

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Published on 06.07.2012

   Tripoli (dpa) - Libyans are conservative by nature. Most men head to the mosques five times a day for prayers, the majority of women are veiled and many even give their children Islamic names like "Taqwa," meaning piety.

   In most political meetings, whether held by Islamist parties or government officials, attendees regularly interrupt speakers to shout "God is great."

   Many members of the police and military wear beards, which would be banned for security officers in neighbouring Egypt.

   Alcohol has been banned in Libya since former leader Moamer Gaddafi took power four decades ago, though Islamists were persecuted and exiled during his rule.

   Now, as Libyans prepare to head to the polls Saturday to elect the 200-member National Congress, which will draft a new constitution and appoint a government, Islamists begin to intensify their political presence.

   Members of the recently formed Islamist al-Watan party reiterate their commitment to the Islamic shariah law in their statements, though the party's slogan is "We are all partners in the nation."

   A recent rally for the party began with recitations from the Quran, and speeches by candidates were interrupted by shouts of "God is great" from the crowd.

   In Egypt and Tunisia, Islamists have risen to power after long-ruling presidents were ousted in uprisings last year. Unlike Libya, Islamists in both neighbouring states had a long history of dissent and political activity.

   Libya's Islamists appear to be following their neighbours' footsteps by speaking about democracy, human rights and rule of law in their campaigns.

   "We call for a democratic, civilian country where there is peaceful transfer of power," al-Watan de facto party leader Abdul Hakim Belhaj told dpa.

   "We want to build our country following the goals of the people who sparked our blessed revolution. There is nothing scary in our religion, we call for moderate Islam, and we want to build a country where there is separation of powers, rule of law and free media."

   The bearded Belhaj, a former emir of the now defunct Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), said that the party "seeks harmony, consensus and security - there is nothing to fear from this."

   Party members do not seem to be aware of Islamist politics, and many loyalists do not have a clear idea about the goals of the party.

   "The party will help many find more jobs," said a party member, wearing a t-shirt and cap with the party's white and purple slogan.

   Some Tripoli residents do not approve of al-Watan, but their only concern is that they heard that the party is funded by Gulf countries.

   Belhaj denies the allegation: "We are funded through the patriotic Libyans only."

   Ali Khalifa, a 35-year-old candidate with the party, says he joined the party to prove that shariah was used "as a scarecrow by the old regime" and that it is time to renew people's trust in it.

   Saturday's elections will determine whether political Islam will dominate all three North African countries, who were the first to oust their leaders in 2011.

   The Libyan Muslim Brotherhood group founded their Justice and Construction Party in March. All political parties were established this year after the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) issued the electoral law.

   Political parties were banned in Libya even before Gaddafi seized power in 1969.

   "We are all Muslims, and all parties believe shariah should be the main source of laws in the country, not just our party," said Majda al-Fallah, who is running in the elections and says she is one of the founders of the Justice and Construction Party.

   Al-Fallah, a veiled 46-year-old physician, believes that her party already enjoys a big presence among Libyans.

   While the polls are unlikely to deliver a majority to any party, Libya could well join its neighbours by bringing conservatives at least a share of power, especially as even the National Forces Alliance, seen as a liberal coalition, said it favours shariah as the basis of the law.

   The NTC announced that sharia law should be the "main" source of legislation and that this principle should not be subject to a referendum.

   "For me, Islamic shariah is a red line," said Najla, a young supporter of the Brotherhood's party. "It must be in the new constitution."

Libya elections to go ahead amid security concerns

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
published on 05.07.2012

   Tripoli (dpa) - Libya's interim government vowed that Saturday's elections will continue as planned despite attacks on election commission offices in eastern cities, while the Interior Ministry celebrated the first post-revolution class of police cadets.

   "Saturday will be the day Libyans go after their democratic rights," Deputy Interior Minister Omar al-Khadrawi told a rally in Martyr's Square in Tripoli.

   The newly trained police officers, who graduated Thursday, will participate in securing the country on Saturday as around 2.7 million voters will head to polling stations to elect the National Congress, which will form a new government and draft the country's constitution.

   Most of the new officers were revolutionaries during last year's uprising, supported by NATO and Western and Arab powers, which ended Moamer Gaddafi's 42-year rule.

   "We see today enthusiasm and happiness among Libyans to move from the revolution period to the era of state (building)," al-Khadrawi said.

   He spoke after a police parade in the square, where musicians played local music styles and police officers drove around the square flashing the victory sign to spectators.

   Earlier Thursday, a member of the National Transitional Council (NTC), which has been ruling Libya for more than a year, said elections would go ahead despite a fire in the city of Ajdabiya that destroyed equipment and supplies needed for the election, including ballot papers.

   The fire raised fears that the election could be marred by violence.

   "The NTC promises to investigate the incident and punish those held accountable," NTC spokesman Salah Darhoub told reporters.

   The incident came after hundreds of protesters stormed an election commission office in the eastern city of Benghazi, rallying against what they said was unfair distribution of seats in the National Congress.

   The western region, including Tripoli, has been allocated a total of 106 seats. The eastern region, including the second city Benghazi, has 60 seats. The remaining 34 seats will go to thinly populated southern Libya.

   Federalists in eastern Libya have been calling for a self-autonomous region, which is rejected by the NTC and most political parties.

   "We have never imagined that anyone would dare to storm the Libyans' dream and burnt it with such irresponsibility," said Nuri al-Abbar, head of the Libyan electoral commission.

   He said there was lack of security, but ballot papers were being shipped to the city to replace what was lost in the fire.

   Candidates were wrapping up campaigns Thursday. Electoral law forbids campaigning on the day before the election.

   Major parties held rallies in Tripoli and other cities in a last bid to attract voters.

   Dozens of supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction Party held a march in Martyr's Square, which was called Green Square during Gaddafi's reign. They waved banners reading: "It's a different Libya, bringing a good omen."

   In nearby Algeria Square, tens of supporters of the National Front Party gathered for their last rally before the electoral silence starts at midnight.

   Seats in the National Congress are divided between 120 directly elected members and 80 for candidates from party lists.

   Some 2,500 candidates are campaigning for the directly elected seats, while there are 1,202 names on the party lists.

   Campaign posters have been on the streets of Tripoli for almost two weeks.

   The electoral commission put up several billboards to encourage people to vote. One features a woman carrying a picture of a man slain in last year's conflict against leader Gaddafi, with the words "vote for their sake."

Egypt's new first lady defies the mould

By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa =

   Cairo (dpa) - Unlike Egypt's former first ladies, Naglaa Ali Mahmoud, wife of the country's first elected civilian president, refuses the title.

   Mahmoud, a mother of five, has gone public with this refusal in the very few interviews she has given since her Islamist husband, Mohammed Morsi, began his bid for presidency some months ago.

   She is the opposite of her two predecessors, Suzanne Mubarak and Jihan al-Sadat. They were born to British mothers. They held master's degrees and are famous for being fashionable.

   In contrast, Mahmoud looks like millions of other Egyptian women living in working-class areas. She wears a long veil that covers her body down to the waist, with mostly plain colours, and no make-up.

Naglaa Mahmoud (R) almost the opposite of Suzanne Mubarak.

   The change Mahmoud brings to the presidential palace is a reflection of the change the country has seen since Morsi was elected as Egypt's first freely elected civilian president.

   Mahmoud, 50, has not been to university. She married her cousin, Morsi, in 1979 after she finished high school at the age of 17.

   She travelled with him in the early 1980s to the United States where he studied for a doctorate degree in engineering. Two of their five children - four boys and a girl - were born in the United States and have US passports.

   In the United States, she worked as an Arabic-English translator for Muslim Americans. It was then that she and her husband officially joined the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest and most organized Islamist group.

   Mahmoud, who has three grandchildren, prefers to be called Um Ahmed, or the mother of Ahmed - her eldest son - as is the tradition among Egypt's middle and lower classes.

   In a recent interview with the local magazine Nus al-Dunia, she described Morsi, 60, as a responsible man and an understanding husband who helps her with household chores, including cooking.

   During campaigning, Morsi did not speak much about his wife, though he took some time to praise her for playing "the biggest role" in his life.

   Her role was mostly to support her family's political activities in the Brotherhood. Her husband and two of their children - Ahmed and Usama - were detained several times under Hosny Mubarak's 30-year rule, when the Muslim Brotherhood was banned.

   She recalled that when security agents raided their house to detain her son Ahmed, she told him to consider his jailing a "political detention, something that would make him proud."

   Mahmoud, whose husband is seen as a conservative voice within the Brotherhood, has caused a big stir in Egypt. Some people praise her as a modest woman. Others criticize her as lacking the credentials to be an international representative of Egypt.       

   She says she would not get engaged in politics like former first ladies. Instead, she plans to continue community work, which she has been doing for years, like helping young girls in the Brotherhood.

   Shortly after her husband was declared winner in Egypt's presidential elections last week, Mahmoud visited families of protesters killed in the popular revolt that ousted Mubarak last year.

   "Islam has taught us that the ruler is the people's servant, which means that his wife is also the servant of the people. Any other title imposed on us must not be an entry in the dictionary of my political and social life," she said.