Thousands registered in an attempt to secure an NDP official nomination in upcoming elections to the People's Assembly, reports Gamal Essam El-Din Close to 4,000 members of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) had registered as possible candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections when the nomination period closed on 28 August. There was a rush to register in the last few hours despite the new registration fee of between LE5,000 and LE15,000 and the stipulation that those seeking to be party candidates commit themselves not to run as independents should their nominations be rejected. The list of candidates includes 50 NDP heavyweight figures who will complete the selection process unopposed. According to one party insider "no one had the guts to compete against the party's old stalwarts who are members of the politburo, secretariat-general and the powerful Policies Committee led by Gamal Mubarak, the younger son of President Hosni Mubarak." Topping the list of the NDP's wannabe MPs are septuagenarian old guard politicians such as Fathi Sorour, 78, speaker of the People's Assembly since 1990 and NDP MP for Cairo's south district of Al-Sayeda Zeinab since 1987; Zakaria Azmi, 74, chief of the presidential staff, an NDP MP for Cairo's East district of Al-Zeitoun since 1987 and the party's assistant secretary-general since 2002; and Kamal El-Shazli, 76, a member of the NDP's political politburo who first became an MP in 1964 for the Delta governorate's district of Al-Bagour. El-Shazli was Minister for Parliamentary Affairs from 1994 to 2006. Of the eight cabinet ministers who have registered, seven were unopposed. They include existing MPs Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros Ghali, in the north Cairo district of Shubra; Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi in the Sharqiya governorate district of Abu Kebeir; Minister of Military Production Sayed Meshaal in Helwan and four new faces to parliament, Minister of State for Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Moufid Shehab in Alexandria's Moharrem Bey district; Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Nasreddin Allam in Sohag governorate's Juhayna district; Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin in Qalioubiya governorate's Kafr Shukr district and Minister of Agriculture Amin Abaza in Sharqiya governorate's district of Al-Tilien. The only cabinet minister who registered but will be obliged to compete to win the NDP's nomination is Fayza Abul-Naga, minister of state for international cooperation. Abul-Naga, who is seeking to be elected as NDP's candidate in Port Said, faces competition from female physician Sohair El-Tamanawi. El-Shazli is joined by three other one-time cabinet members, former minister of trade and supply Ahmed Guweili standing in Beheira governorate's Shubra Kheit district, former minister of irrigation Mahmoud Abu Zeid in Gharbiya governorate's Nahtai district, and former minister of tourism Tawfik Ismail in Daqahliya governorate's Dekerness district. Ismail, who headed parliament's Budget Committee between 1990 and 2000, was sentenced in 2000 to five years in prison after he was found guilty of helping businessmen obtain illegal loans from banks. Fifteen current chairmen of parliamentary committees have also registered: the chairman of the Health Committee Hamdi El-Sayed in Cairo's Nozha district; head of the Legislative Affairs Committee Amal Othman in Giza's Doqqi district; head of the Economic Committee Mustafa El-Sayed in Sharqiya's district of Diarb Negm; of the Tourism and Culture Committee Ahmed Abu Taleb in Fayoum governorate's Tamia district and the chairman of the Arab Affairs Committee Saad El-Gammal in Helwan's Al-Saff district. The list also includes three business tycoons: chairman of the Budget Committee steel magnate Ahmed Ezz; chairman of the Industry Committee and industrialist Mohamed Abul-Enein and chairman of the Housing Committee and construction magnate Tareq Talaat Mustafa. Ezz, who also doubles as NDP secretary for organisational affairs, secured his nomination unopposed. He has been NDP MP for Menoufiya governorate's district of Menouf, in which his iron and steel plants are located, since 2000. Abul- Enein, an NDP MP since 1995, is a member of the NDP's secretariat-general and the Policies Committee. Mustafa, the brother of Hisham Talaat Mustafa, the former Shura Council member who is facing trial on murder charges, donated LE1 million to the party when he applied to be its candidate in the east Alexandria district of Sidi Gaber. The list of hopeful NDP business tycoon candidates includes Mustafa El-Sallab, deputy chairman of parliament's Economic Committee, standing in Nasr City; construction magnate Mohamed El-Morshidi, standing in Maadi; retail tycoon Talaat El-Qawwas in Abdine and industrialist Hani Sorour, standing in Azbakiya. Sorour was recently acquitted of charges of producing and selling substandard medical equipment. Tourism tycoon Khaled Khairi is seeking nomination for the Alexandria district of Attarin; industrialist and chairman of Alexandria's Sporting Club Mohamed El-Meselhi is standing in Al-Raml and industrialist Mamdouh Hosni Khalil. Khalil, who was the NDP's MP for Alexandria's Moharrem Bey district, is now contesting the neighbouring district of Ghobrial. The move means he will not be competing against Minister of State for Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Moufid Shehab. In addition to Cairo and Alexandria, businessmen are also standing in Delta and Suez Canal governorates. The biggest surprise was Effat El-Sadat, nephew of late president Anwar El-Sadat and an export-import business magnate, who is seeking to be the NDP's candidate in Menoufiya governorate's district of Tala. If successful, Effat will be competing against his brother Talaat El-Sadat, a ferocious critic of both President Hosni Mubarak and his younger son Gamal since becoming an MP in 2000. Effat revealed that he had been asked by NDP leaders to stand against his brother. "This was the wish of the party. It was not on my mind to run in Tala," said Effat. He added that Jihan El-Sadat, the widow of late president Anwar El-Sadat, was "very happy when she knew that I had registered my name". "She believes that I, rather than my brother Talaat, am the right man to be MP for Tala, which contains the village of Meit Abul-Kom, the birthplace of Anwar El-Sadat." Talaat El-Sadat is reported to have been taken aback by his brother Effat's wish to be an NDP candidate in Tala. "NDP leaders believe that they can sow the seeds of division within the Sadat family by forcing my brother to run against me," says Talaat. "But the final say on who will be Tala's MP should be left to its people who should be allowed to go to the polls without police harassment." Tens of women have also registered as potential candidates following the decision to reserve 64 women-only seats in parliament. Topping the list are Minister of State for International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga in Port Said; Hosna Rachid, the sister of Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid, and Sahar Talaat Mustafa, the sister of Hisham and Talaat Mustafa, both seeking to win seats in Alexandria. On Sunday the door was opened for a week for the filing of any appeals against those who have registered. "The final list will then pass through three stages before the names of NDP candidates are announced," says Ahmed Ezz. "The first stage includes electoral colleges, which will be held on 15 September. The second stage involves two weeks of internal elections, due to begin on 21 September." Rallies in 28 governorates will also be held to select the party's candidates for the 64 seats reserved for women in parliament. "The final list of NDP candidates will be announced during the party's annual conference, scheduled for 9 to 10 November," says Ezz.
