Election Newsletter from Zawia3
Let’s begin with a conference supporting Sisi attended by representatives from religious authorities.
Today witnessed a mass conference to endorse President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the 2024 presidential elections. Despite Sisi’s absence from the conference organized by the Future of the Nation Party in the Red Sea, thousands of citizens, including representatives from “the church, religious authorities, petroleum companies, factories, schools, and tourism companies,” were present at the conference. The event commenced with the recitation of the Quran and the national anthem.
Emad Saif, the Secretary of the Future of the Nation Party in the Red Sea governorate, stated, “The residents of the Red Sea gathered to support President Sisi in continuing the path of development and unprecedented achievements across the nation, especially in the Red Sea governorate.”
Farid Zahran: The Future is Uncertain with the Current Regime
Presidential candidate Farid Zahran stated that the continuation of the current president with his regime in the upcoming elections implies choosing an insecure future.
During a popular conference in the city of Badrashin in Giza governorate, Zahran emphasized that the current presidential elections are an opportunity for a peaceful and safe change, “because Egypt cannot endure another 6 years under this current regime.”
He added: The choice of a candidate who managed the country in a way that led to the rise of the dollar and the increase in the prices of essential goods in this manner, the choice of the regime that caused the youth to seek illegal migration, risking their lives because they cannot find job opportunities within their country. The choice of the regime that has led to a continuous deterioration in the situation day after day.
Zahran continued, “Choosing this regime again means choosing an uncertain future and increases the frustration and possibilities of explosion.”
Zahran stated, “The 2018 elections were the weirdest in the world when the competing candidate announced that he would vote for President Sisi.”
He added that participating in the electoral process this time is a participation in the future of Egypt and the possibility of safe, peaceful, and democratic change.
Regarding the current situation in Gaza, Zahran said, “If you care about the Palestinian people, there must be a change in the situation in Egypt for the better, so that it can be stronger not only in defending itself and its land but also in defending the entire region and the entire Arab world, considering it the strongest with the greatest capabilities.”
Hazem Omar: I Will Issue a Decision to Reduce Prices
Hazem Omar, the candidate for the position of the President and the head of the Republican People’s Party, pledged to reduce the prices of foodstuffs after 100 days if he wins the presidential elections.
Omar, during the first electoral conference of the campaign, added that the targeted items for price reduction include legumes, rice, sugar, pastries, red and white meat, dairy, and other goods that concern citizens.
Omar explained that the reduction in prices would be achieved by abolishing the value-added tax on local products and lifting tariffs on imported goods.
The presidential candidate pointed out that resources would be allocated to improve the healthcare system, reform the local development system to provide better services to citizens, and allocate resources to the provinces. He also emphasized the support for investment by providing land and infrastructure, collecting value dues after 3 years, and over a period of ten years, or the state’s entry into the land and infrastructure with shares in the company or factory.
Hazem Omar clarified that our program is carefully planned and includes solutions to all problems. He stated that all the problems reported to us from some provinces in the eastern Delta are related to local administration and services. Reforming local authorities requires a good understanding of the philosophy of successful administration, and it must be recognized that any failure in the system results from personal whims and interests.
He continued: “Local administration is the backbone of the state and the lifeline, and any malfunction affects the lives of citizens significantly and directly. Comprehensive reform of local administration is necessary to align with the major projects undertaken by the central government.”
He added: “We realize that reaching a local administration befitting Egypt requires a new law for local administration that helps municipalities provide better services and create trained local cadres capable of implementing the law on everyone.” In addition, there is a need for the swift formation of local councils capable of supervision and communication with citizens to solve their problems and assess their satisfaction with the implemented projects, conveying their issues and needs to local leaders.
Hazem Omar stated that our program will solve 80% of the problems of local authorities and emphasized the need to redistribute the governorates, create new quality governorates, especially after the population increase and vast areas, prevent encroachments and random constructions, and provide distinctive services to citizens.
Omar mentioned that the reform of the local administration system begins with completing the State Academy for Local Authorities, which had received approval from the Supreme Council of Universities but was suspended. He emphasized the need to generate revenues that help the provinces develop and provide better services to their citizens.
He pointed out that the reform of local administrations must be institutional to yield results and be far from the vision of vested interests, helping to eliminate corruption, facilitating more incentives for investors, developing agriculture, bringing back the productive village, increasing local production, providing job opportunities for youth, and raising growth rates. The reform also preserves the infrastructure to improve the quality of life for citizens.
Yamama is Coming to Save Egypt
Abdul-Sind Yamama, the candidate of the Wafd Party for the presidential elections, stated that he has a comprehensive electoral program to save Egypt, including a vision for political and economic reform for comprehensive development, consisting of four main axes.
He made these remarks during a conference in Port Said to support the Wafd candidate in the presidential elections, held at the Grand Conference Hall in the Cultural Center in the East District of Port Said.
He added that a project for an economic group would be presented to overcome the economic crisis, urging the withdrawal from the declaration that Egypt signed with Ethiopia regarding Egypt’s share of the waters of the Nile Valley, according to him.
He revealed a flaw in the constitution regarding granting the Prime Minister powers similar to those of the President.
He called for the selection of members of the judicial authority for the leadership of the judicial body, as well as calling for granting the Senate legislative powers.
He called for turning Port Said into a free industrial and commercial city, in line with the national project for the development of the Suez Canal axis.
