EGYPT: From billboards to broadcasts Egypt's presidential candidates are spending on well-used political campaign tools to win over voters

Record ID: 346570

  • Title: EGYPT: From billboards to broadcasts Egypt's presidential candidates are spending on well-used political campaign tools to win over voters
  • Date: 19th May 2012
  • Summary: SCREEN SHOWING OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF SABAHI'S CAMPAIGN
  • Embargoed: 3rd June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA272H0VF9TPA40M5LH0ZYUJ0N2
  • Story Text: Egypt will hold its first truly competitive leadership election in its history from Wednesday (May 23) to pick the man to replace Hosni Mubarak, ousted last year in a popular uprising.
    The first round takes place on May 23 and 24, with about 50 million of Egypt's 82 million population eligible to vote.
    Campaigning kicked off on April 30 with 13 candidates - including two Islamist frontrunners -- and is set to be the country's first fair and free presidential competition in the country's modern history.
    The Egyptian Higher Presidential Elections Commission (HPEC) last month set a limit of 10 million Egyptian pounds to be spent by each candidate in the first round and a maximum 5 million pounds in the run-off.
    But, some voters are unhappy over the large amounts of money being spent from giant billboards to banners to television ads.
    "By God, costs are soaring," said 50-year old Egyptian Yahiya Mahmoud.
    "It would be better if this huge amount of money was spent in projects for housing or subsidising bakeries to serve that people who stand in lines everyday to buy bread . . . they could spend money on their campaigns, but not in the excessive manner as they are doing."
    The presidential campaigns are giving a boost to several businesses like transportation and advertising agencies.
    The strong race has divided the campaigns into two parts based on funding sources; rich and poor.
    Many voters echoed the same feeling as they said the two parts of campaigning are representing the Egyptian people during thirty years of Mubarak's rule when there were only two classes; rich and poor while the middle class has been shrunk down.
    The ex-Mubarak foreign minister for ten years and the former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Amr Moussa, who was endorsed by al-Wafd liberal party and other political forces, has a print run of approximately 2,000 banners everyday to be distributed all over Egypt.
    Moussa's campaign has struck a deal with four printer's working around the clock to produce banners and posters.
    ""We, in a day, as printers will print 500 posters - depending on the size, the standard is 5x1 metres which are in the streets - so I print about 500 of those a day," explained the director of printers, Hossam Saif, said.
    Egypt's former prime minister and Mubarak's ex-minister of civil aviation, Ahmed Shafiq, launched the most intensive campaign across the country that has raised many questions on whether it has exceeded the 10 million Egyptian pound limit and calling into doubt the foreign source of funding, something which he has denied numerous time.
    Following a modern style of campaigning, the hardcore supporters - known as Ultras - of the Islamic candidate, Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, produced a video clip which is being widely aired.
    "Abdul Fotouh is the president, he is the hero of the revolution ...we will build a strong Egypt,' go the lyrics of the song featured in the video.
    Popular Nasserist presidential contender, Hamdeen Sabahi, has relied on dozens of enthusiastic volunteers who trust him as a public figure and believe can lead the country.
    Hamdeen's campaign was lacked experience at the beginning but its members say they have overcome obstacles.
    "We have gained this experience over time; we have acquired this experience through practice. Yes, we made some mistakes, but we overcame them later. We were lacking experience at the start, but now we are experienced and we acquire more experience day after day," said a spokesperson for Hamdeen Sabahi's campaign, Huda Sultan.
    In an attempt to safeguard Egyptian voters from bias and keep them informed, the HPEC appointed a committee to monitor the campaigns which are on television.
    Egypt's authorities banned any slogans based on religious, any prejudice against national unity and norms of society. Placing posters on the governmental building, facilities worship houses and state transport means are also banned.
    "We reviewed some important issues including many of the satellite channels paying attention to the promotional role while neglecting the role of raising awareness and informing the voter with important information. The voter is the hero, but candidate is not. The media's role should be to provide the voter with needed and accurate information, however the photo of the candidate has a more promotional purpose," explained the head of the special committee, Safwat Al-Alem.
    But, one parapsychologist says she believes the best campaign is being carried out by Shafiq who parliament tried to eliminate.
    "The best campaign is the most widely seen and the most expensive and which is Ahmed Shafiq's. The campaign is everywhere; you can see it in all places: on TV, in interviews. From what I see, Kahlid Ali is not getting the most out of his campaign," said Raghda Said.
    The first-round result will be formally announced on May 29.If any candidate achieves more than 50 percent of the votes in the first leg, he wins outright.
    That seems unlikely given the spread of candidates, so a run-off between the top two vote getters is expected to go ahead on June 16 and 17, with the result out on June 21.
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