Miss Mabrouk of Egypt

Check the archives too - a lot of good stuff to enjoy. Me myself? Off to new adventures in the blogosphere, if time permits.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Brownie Points and Pretense

Ritzy's Weekly Eye on the English Language Press:

BROWNIE POINT: Dispatches by foreign correspondents this week have mentioned that President Mubarak is not available for interviews or press conferences; in other words: he does not want to answer questions. But to portray the image of a head of state open to the media, an interview has been granted to Al-Ahram Weekly’s editor in chief – accidentally appointed by the incumbent himself. A round-up of the Arabic press columns provides more insight to the election game.

PUBLIC PRETENSE: Following the public reaction to the different candidates campaigns, Mubarak’s “I have come to Assuit seeking out your vote,” is tagged the key-phrase of the week. For him to ask people to choose him is definitely something new. One columnist “described the elections as a "cheater's form of democracy", comparing them to a student who hasn't studied all year, who suddenly decides, on the night before the test, that he has to pass.”