An unexpected visitor was at the opening of the Alexandria Book and IT Fair, Nevine El-Aref reports Hundreds of people gathered on Monday to attend the official opening of the Alexandria Book and IT Fair. This year, 85 Egyptian publishers are participating in the fair located in Al-Soyouf exhibition grounds in Alexandria, and held by the General Egyptian Books Organisation (GEBO) in collaboration with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Egyptian Publishers Union (EPU). The GEBO is exhibiting some 4,000 books while some 70 IT companies are taking part. The seven-day fair will also hold conferences and seminars on modern technology, education, publishing, Internet crime and intellectual property rights. Intellectual and cultural lectures will be held as well as competitions with prizes for the winners. Saudi Arabia is the only other Arab country participating in the event. At 7.00pm sharp, Minister of Culture Emad Abu Ghazi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohamed Salem and Alexandria Governor Osama El-Fouli officially inaugurated the fair. Notably, GEBO head Ahmed Megahed was there as well even though Megahed had resigned three days before the event. Megahed's resignation came amid protests by workers who detained him in his office last week Thursday demanding financial rewards for preparing the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF), which was scheduled to open in January. Megahed said the demand was unreasonable since the CIBF was cancelled due to Egypt's revolution and replaced by the Faisal Book Fair, of which, he added, the workers had been "suitably rewarded". Megahed was not able to leave his office until the military police were called in. On the same day, he submitted his resignation to Abu Ghazi, stating that he was satisfied with what he had accomplished in his six months as head of the GEBO but that he could not continue his plan to develop "such a great organisation in view of the current situation. "Heading the GEBO now for me is nonsense," Megahed wrote in his letter. Abu Ghazi rejected Megahed's resignation but Megahed insisted on his stand and did not go back to his office. Meanwhile, a large number of GEBO employees signed a petition asking Abu Ghazi to reject the resignation and keep Megahed in his post. In the petition they listed several of Megahed's achievements, including the Faisal Book Fair, the renewal of the Family Library Project (FLP) as well as the publication of new books. Reaction to the resignation was mostly in Megahed's favour. Well-known writer Gamal El-Ghitani said that Megahed had spruced up work at the GEBO and had supervised "several distinguished and good quality projects and activities that bode well with a great governmental publishing organisation. "He really put the GEBO on the right track towards development," El-Ghitani said. "Aborting such efforts is regrettable." Poet Shaaban Youssef said Megahed had "resurrected the GEBO and moved still waters with the establishment of several cultural lectures, seminars and the publishing of new book titles and series. "Losing Megahed is a great loss because all projects will be put on hold," Youssef pointed out. Writers Ibrahim Abdel-Meguid and Osama Afifi appreciated the demands of the workers, yet found their cause to be an issue Megahed was not solely responsible for. They said the issue should be tackled at a different level. They also believed Megahed's tenure was too short. "We cannot judge it properly but he did great work trying to move the GEBO forward," Afifi said. They added that Megahed had bought the copyright of renowned writers Fouad Haddad, Salah Gahine and Ali El-Rayi and had improved the GEBO's printing technology and machinery. "Megahed proved his capabilities ever since taking a role in the establishment of the Popular Culture series," Afifi said. "Since he moved to GEBO he was among the most active leaders and was able to manage the Faysal Book Fair with perfection. The disagreement with the workers should start with assessing their issues, but this doesn't mean stopping Megahed from working." Also expressing regret over Megahed's resignation was writer and FLP head Ibrahim Aslan who postponed a meeting of the supreme committee of the FLP until things settle down. Although Aslan said he stood by the workers and their demands, he thought that preventing Megahed from leaving his office was disrespectful. He appreciated Megahed's efforts, especially in pursuing new publications and in the renewal of old publications of deceased authors, as well as his contracting of print houses running full time. Author Farag Abdel-Nabi, on the other hand, said he supported Megahed's resignation, saying "it really came late." Megahed, Abdel-Nabi added, was one of former culture minister Farouk Hosni's right-hand men and, as such, was incapable of offering something new. He also found Megahed's work lacking during recent months, failing to fulfil his promises, and failing to bring capable new faces to lead a number of publication series. On Tuesday, after returning from the fair, Megahed apparently prevented a bribery attempt. A printing machine company tried to pass off used spare parts to the GEBO's print press as new. Megahed sent the case to the administrative prosecution to take legal proceedings and follow up the investigation. The incident may signal that Megahed is staying in his job.
