Can a kilo of meat win the hearts and minds of voters? Plenty candidates think so, reports Mohamed Abdel-Baky The five-minute walk to Al-Bahr Al-Azam Street in Giza was a struggle for 69-year-old Gamal Abdel-Rahman but he was determined to reach his destination after being told by a neighbour that free meat was being distributed at an election rally organised by National Democratic Party candidate Mohamed Abul-Enein. Abdel-Rahman lives on a monthly donation from a charity association. He has been voting for Abul-Enein for 15 years, he says, because he thinks he "understands my needs". Over the last three weeks candidates hoping to emerge victorious from next week's election have tried every trick in the book to win votes. They have shaken hands and kissed babies, given away meat, TVs and even jobs. Many candidates used the occasion of Eid Al-Adha to hold election rallies and distribute meat. In Cairo, Dar Al-Salam's NDP candidate Ahmed Qoera distributed 6,000 kilogrammes to constituents. Minister of Military Production Sayed Mashaal managed to off-load 1,500 kilogrammes in just six hours in his Helwan constituency. In Bulaq Al-Dakrour NDP candidate Mamdouh El-Husseini adopted a slightly different approach, drawing on his connections to increase the number of subsided outlets selling meat at half the market price. "Fighting high prices is one of my goals. I will pursue every office in government to ensure the sons and daughters of my constituency can have a better life," El-Husseini said during an election rally. Eid presented a different kind of opportunity for Muslim Brotherhood (MB) candidates, some of whom attempted to turn Eid prayers to election rallies. They, too, promised freebies. In Alexandria, Suez and Beni Sweif MB candidates told voters that they would receive free pilgrimage trips. Others distributed bags with religious books, meat and other goods. The promises came thick and fast. In Nasr City Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmi told constituents that the salaries of oil company employees would be doubled. He also vowed to improve traffic congestion by building two tunnels, and to upgrade medical centres in the constituency. Wafd Party Chairman El-Sayed El-Badawi paid visits to six governorates to support candidates. The largest election rally he attended was held in Nabrouh in Daqahliya governorate, where 25,000 turned up to support the Wafd's candidate Fouad Badrawi. On TV the battle has been more muted, with only the NDP and the Wafd airing party political ads. Under the slogan "For the future of your children" the NDP attempted to drive home how it had fulfilled its promises made in the 2005 election campaign, with ads citing increased teachers' salaries and new infrastructure projects to prove the point. It also urged young people to vote for the party which "guarantees employment, housing and better education". The Wafd's TV campaign was fronted by veteran actor Gamal Ismail, who talked about "improving opposition party performance" and the link between "democracy and welfare", messages that chimed well with the party's slogan "It's time for change". While the Tagammu and Nasserist parties may be too cash-strapped to buy airtime they have benefited from the extensive campaign coverage, especially after Channel 2's popular talk show Masr Al-Naharda began airing interviews with opposition party leaders. Not that the media coverage is fair, says the Cairo Centre for Human Rights (CIHRS), which issued a media monitoring report citing "very clear bias towards the ruling party". In the print media, the report said, "52.6 per cent of all coverage has gone to the NDP". The Muslim Brotherhood received a 12 per cent share of press reports, though much of the coverage comprised attacks published in state-owned newspapers. The election battle extends to the Internet, where the NDP and MB official websites have been busy exchanging allegations. The NDP's Facebook page posted videos and images showing supporters of the MB candidate Saad El-Katatni attacking police in Minya. In a tit-for-tat move the MB's official website replied by posting pictures of injuries inflicted on its members by the police.
