Tomorrow, 35,000 members of what is known as the club of the elite will select the new board which will lead Gezira for the next four years Despite claims that Al-Sekka Al-Hadid, established in 1903, is the oldest Egyptian club, Gezira was established by the British in 1882 under the name El-Khedive. And though the elections in the oldest club in Egypt began quietly and was described as the most polite of all sports club elections, as the big day has neared, the promotion of the candidates has heated up. Still, when compared to other rowdy club polls, Gezira's has been tame. The club has planned for the big day by arranging buses to bring members to the club from various gathering points. Flyers and promotional brochures are ready to be distributed before voting in 53 election booths. Advertisement boards and pictures of the candidates are all over. All 47 candidates have been working hard in the past several weeks to get themselves elected. Most of them depend on their personal contacts in collecting the most votes by working the phones in places were there are big numbers of club members, including companies, factories and other clubs. Others are promoting themselves by appearing on TV. The plans of some of the candidates include expanding the club by building a new branch in one of the new cities -- 6th October, Qatameya or Shorouk. Other projects like building an underground garage for a car park and a mall are creating controversy among some club members who oppose the ideas, believing they will make the club more crowded and that it will lose its identity as an elite club. But others support the ideas. The car park would rescue most club members who languish in long queues before entering the club after which starts another dilemma, trying to find a place to park once inside. Some of the candidates are familiar to the members, having served before within previous boards. Ahmed El-Said, the current club chairman, is running for the president's seat, as are Adel Abdel-Baqi and Ramzi Roshdi, former chairmen. Hamada El-Demerdash, who is also running for the president's seat, is on the current board. Also running for the board are current members Raouf Nour, Ihab Khalifa and Badawi Khalifa, and Heba El-Sheikh, a former board member. "All in one" is the motto of El-Said and his team who promise the members a new club branch, social services and renewing other buildings as the club house, restaurant and kitchen. El-Said said he was running for a second term only after he felt members want him to continue what he had begun when he took over as the club president four years ago. Roshdi, a former president, seeks a new term with new ambitions. However, he enters the elections independently and has no clear choice of board members, leaving the members the freedom to select freely. Osman El-Abassi, a dentist and former president of the Egyptian Kung Fu Federation, is also running for the presidency and as an independent. His ideas include building an indoor hall for team sports, an Olympic swimming pool, renewing the cafeterias and restaurants, a multi-floor garage, and residence for the elderly. Abdel-Baqi , another candidate for the presidency, intends to continue the projects he began when he was appointed as president for 10 months. He enters the elections with a list of members for the board. Their programme includes appointing a managing director for the club, arranging the car park, an Olympic swimming pool, and squash courts. Current board member El-Demerdash's motto is "renewal and development for the sake of an elite and quiet island". El-Demerdash has also selected a group of well-known faces as club members. His programme is based on developing the club's services, a new branch for the club and an indoor hall for team sports. Only three women are running -- Nihal Ahdi, Heba El-Sheikh and Maha Mourad. Their programmes are similar and are focused on establishing women and childhood committees.
