Being a woman does not necessarily pay off, reports Reem Leila Cairo's Downtown constituency of Qasr Al-Nil, which includes Zamalek, Garden City, parts of Al-Mounira and Al-Sayeda Zeinab, was the scene of a battle between National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Hisham Mustafa Khalil and independent Gamila Ismail, a former TV announcer and ex-wife of political activist Ayman Nour. It is a relatively small constituency, easily served by 102 ballot boxes. Voting was relatively smooth though the turnout was small. The poster campaign waas dominated by Khalil's grinning face, with Ismail's black and white image distributed less heavily. "I spent less than half the LE200,000 ceiling set by the Higher Election Commission. We do not have any external financial support unlike NDP nominees who are strongly supported by their party." Ismail says she was shocked by the obstacles placed in front of her campaign. Electoral numbers, she says, were changed arbitrarily, and the location of four election committees altered without prior notice. "I could easily lose 2,000 votes as a result of these sudden changes," Ismail complained. Ismail filed several complaints at the police station. "I am trying to save my neck. I wasn't looking forward for a smooth election but I never expected these violations," she said. Ismail, who was accompanied by two international media correspondents, was enthusiastically greeted by supporters in Marouf and Zamalek. In other areas her posters were torn down by Khalil's supporters, eyewitnesses say. Many female voters said they would not cast their ballot for Ismail. "I will vote for Khalil. He is an NDP nominee and can serve us better. Ismail is showing off her beauty. Neither she nor her ex-husband was there for us," says 55- year-old Mahasen Abdel-Azim. Othman Ibrahim thought differently. "Ismail is a strong political activist. She has been struggling for her principles throughout her life. She never turned anyone down. She helped my son by finding him a decent job," Ibrahim said. Khalil, the son of Egypt's former prime minister Mustafa Khalil, was convinced the NDP's record would guarantee the success of many of the party's candidates. "The achievements of the NDP speak for themselves. What have the opposition, or independent candidates, ever done? Can any of them implement their promises or policies?" he asked. Khalil has many influential supporters and there have been allegations that he pay people to vote for him. Out of 25,000 eligible voters only 5,000 turned up on polling day. Khalil received 3,600 votes while Ismail scored 1,300. A hundred ballot papers were judged spoiled. Police officers and station chiefs were relaxed on voting day. "This is a very clean constituency with little, if any, trouble," said one.
