EGYPT: Growing political freedom in Egypt means more posters than ever are required for politicians standing in this year's election

Record ID: 346428

  • Title: EGYPT: Growing political freedom in Egypt means more posters than ever are required for politicians standing in this year's election
  • Date: 28th November 2011
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (RECENT) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC IN STREET VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGN POSTERS HANGING INTERIOR OF POSTER PRINTING WORKS/MAN HOLDING UP CAMPAIGN POSTER VARIOUS OF POSTERS BEING PRINTED/PRODUCED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MANAGER OF PRINTING WORKS, MAHMOUD AFIFI, SAYING: "The elections this year are completely different to those of past years. In the past, I wasn't working on the elections -- that's one thing. The other thing is I feel the spirit of elections is present now. You find a variety of posters in the main streets and side streets -- in the past, there were one or two maximum." MAN ROLLING UP A CAMPAIGN POSTER MAN TRIMMING CAMPAIGN POSTER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MANAGER OF PRINTING WORKS, MAHMOUD AFIFI, SAYING: "Yes, there was censorship. People would come and say 'do not print for these people -- you are for the NDP -- do not print for anyone other than the NDP'. But now I have no problem in printing for any party, no one can tell me otherwise." CAMPAIGN POSTER BEING PRINTED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PRINTING WORKS EMPLOYEE, ALI SALAMA ALI, SAYING: "There was less in the 2010 elections because it was known who was going to win. Now, there is more freedom so the numbers of those running in the elections has risen." LARGE CAMPAIGN POSTER BEING PRINTED PRINTING MACHINE PRINTED CAMPAIGN POSTER
  • Embargoed: 13th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5JZRUR6PMFPGLL42HJ0EYMSQT
  • Story Text: With election polls scheduled to start on Monday (November 28), Egypt's printing factories are very much back in business.
    One of the consequences of the January revolution, which brought to an end the 30-year-rule of the former president,Hosni Mubarak, has been a rise in the country's political freedoms.
    As a result, the number of candidates running in the 2011 parliamentary elections is estimated at 6,000, making up dozens of political parties.
    Printing factories are flourishing as posters are ordered in their thousands.
    Mahmoud Afifi, manager of a printing shop in Cairo says there is a distinct difference between this year's election atmosphere and that of past times.
    "The elections this year are completely different to those of past years. I feel the spirit of elections is present now. You find a variety of posters in the main streets and side streets - in the past, there were one or two maximum," he said.
    Previously, posters had a tendency to be standardised in their appearance; this year, variety is more visible.
    Afifi says that censorship, widespread in the past, is no longer an issue, and this is another factor in the increase in business.
    "Yes, there was censorship. People would come and say 'do not print for these people -- you are for the NDP -- do not print for anyone other than the NDP'. But now I have no problem in printing for any party, no one can tell me otherwise," he said.
    Printing works employee Ali Salama Ali said the number of candidates running in the forthcoming poll had increased compared with the last elections, held in October 2010, because the 2011 revolution had brought more freedom.
    "There was less in the 2010 elections because it was known who was going to win. Now, there is more freedom so the numbers of those running in the elections has risen," he said.
    Due to the increase in candidate numbers and the high demand for campaign posters, printing prices are soaring with some paying up to 30,000 LE (5,008 U.S. dollars) for their posters.
    Election regulations state that no candidate nor party can spend more than a total of 250,000 LE (41,735 U.S. dollars) on their campaign; to what extent this rule is monitored and enforced however, is not known.
    This brings in to question the fairness of the campaigns; although anyone is able to run in the elections, those with more to spend are at an advantage.
    Those without significant financial backing such as young independents are less likely to reach such a wide audience.
    Two days of voting are due to begin on Monday in the first stage of a complex, drawn-out election to parliament's lower house that will be completed in January. Voting for the upper house and the presidency will follow before the end of June.
    Alarmed by the violence in Cairo and other cities, the United States and the European Union have urged a swift handover to civilian rule in a country where prolonged political turmoil has compounded economic woes.
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