As Egypt embarks on its first free, multi-party parliamentary elections, February's elation over the departure of President Hosni Mubarak has been replaced by strain and ambivalence. Egyptians are divided between a desire to return to "normal", a dreary and predictable status quo, and to build a new political system, which will require a lot of hard work.
For now, "normal" reigns, thanks to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), led by 76-year old Field Marshall Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, a veteran of three wars and a Mubarak confidante. The Emergency Law, granting carte blanche to Egypt's security apparatus since 1981, remains in place.
Civilians continue to be arbitrarily detained, tried by military tribunal, imprisoned and tortured, sometimes to death such as the 24- year old Essam Atta, who was arrested in February when a street fight was being dispersed and summarily sentenced to two years in prison. Atta died in jail on October 20 due to internal bleeding, reportedly after water was forced through his mouth and anus via rubber tubes.
Press and media censorship is still problematic, especially critics of the military, whose economic interests - from land holdings to factories, construction firms and petrol stations - are vast yet largely opaque. The army's role in the deaths of 26 protesters on October 9, mostly Coptic Christians demanding an inquiry into the burning of an Aswan church, remains shrouded in denial and misinformation. Two independent TV stations broadcasting the protest were forced off the air.
The economic outlook is as bleak as ever with tourism down and workers in every sector striking for a living wage. Families had a hard time affording the traditional Eid Al Adha meal of meat, priced at the equivalent of $16 (Dh60) per kilogram. Some bought meat from Islamic groups that are running in the elections and are offering it at a lower, subsidised cost. Direct and indirect vote buying is a long-favoured campaign tool of both the former ruling National Democratic Party and Muslim Brotherhood-backed candidates.
Although the SCAF has a reputation for efficiency, it has been conspicuously inept in preparing Egypt for the polls. Dates have been repeatedly postponed; voting districts and polling procedures remain uncertain. Judicial supervision is planned, but international monitors are not invited. A high court has ruled that expatriate Egyptians (as many as 10 million) have the right to vote from abroad; their annual remittances of about $10 billion contribute heavily to the economy. But the SCAF has not decided if the ruling is binding for the current elections and procedural issues remain unaddressed.
Talk of banning members of the former ruling National Democratic Party came to nothing; at least 300 are in the running. Despite confirming in March that the Mubarak-era law forbidding the formation of religious parties would be upheld, the SCAF has since allowed many to be licensed, including the political arm of the radical Gamaa Al Islamiyaa.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the most experienced of the current players, is fielding candidates for 60 to 70 per cent of the parliamentary seats, although it had initially promised it would contest no more than half. Religious slogans were banned and a ceiling placed on campaign spending but there are no means of enforcing these rules.
Over 15,000 individuals have presented themselves as candidates for the People's Assembly (the lower house with 498 seats) and the Shura Council (the higher house with 180), mostly as independents. Of the 55 parties now registered, 35 were formed in recent months. Several alliances forged between diverse parties have fallen apart. The election marathon, involving 45 million eligible voters, is scheduled to begin November 28 and end on March 11, but is subject to delays like everything else, including the trial of Mr Mubarak, now on hold.
While the number of Egyptians entering political life is encouraging, their plans for their constituencies are unclear.
One wonders how voters will distinguish their representatives in a few short weeks of campaigning, especially the 60 women fielded by the reactionary Salafist Nour party, who are entirely veiled in black.
As I write, there are hundreds of Egyptians marching through downtown Cairo chanting the same invective at 76-year old Field Marshall Tantawi as was directed at Mr Mubarak nine months ago. Given the recent clashes between the army and protesters; the Islamists' campaign to prevent former NDP members from gaining seats; the history of employing thugs to control polling stations; and the sectarian, economic and other tensions, Egyptians are looking forward less to an exercise in democracy than several perilous months that they hope to put safely behind them.
Maria Golia is the author of Cairo, City of Sand and Photography and Egypt
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Schedule
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How%20champions%20are%20made
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20profile
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills