The National Democratic Party (NDP)'s electoral program features plans to increase job opportunities, improve the standard of living for middle-income individuals, combat inflation and poverty, and improve education and health services, announced NDP secretary of the organization Gamal Mubarak during a meeting of the party's Supreme Policies Council on Tuesday, reports state-run Al-Ahram. The meeting also featured some discussion of the party's method of selecting its candidates for this year's parliamentary elections. “The party warns its members against political suicide and does not anticipate those excluded to be angry,” reads a front-page headline in state-run Rose al-Youssef. According to the report, the National Democratic Party has gone through a process of internal political and organizational reforms since 2002. Gamal Mubarak argued that these changes have contributed to the adoption of the “best” method to select the party's candidates for elections. The selection of candidates takes place through a centralized process according to party bylaws, while the purpose of party conventions and opinion polls is to provide party decision-makers with the most accurate information to select candidates. NDP secretary-general Safwat al-Sherif added that there is no preferential treatment for any candidate and the party will not hold on to undeserving leaderships or ones that have acquired a suspicious reputation, reports Al-Ahram. Despite these assertions, however, several accounts cast doubt on the transparency of the process and the absence of favoritism, and warn of serious tensions following the party's announcement of excluded candidates. Privately-owned Al-Dostour reports that candidates seeking NDP nomination in Sohag are “confused,” as no one understands what goes on in the party's “kitchen” with regards to selection of the party's nominees. Al-Dostour also warns of a “war” led by excluded candidates against NDP nominees in Port Said. The competition for NDP candidacy in Port Said is particularly fierce as 55 candidates, including several public figures and prominent businessmen, are vying for nomination over six seats. This has left many observers wondering who will be excluded, given that the NDP will have to exclude an average of eight candidates per district. According to Al-Dostour's coverage, observers and formerly excluded candidates characterized the party's internal elections as a “double-edged sword.” On the one hand, the party uses the elections to eliminate the competitors of its chosen candidates. On other hand, however, the elections result in a counter-attack from members who have been excluded in back-handed manner. In the Red Sea Governorate, several NDP leaderships have decided to collectively defect from the party and join the ranks of independents, reports privately-owned Al-Shorouk. The report warns that these independents will be the most serious competitors to NDP candidates in November elections. In the southern district of the governorate, Police General Mohammed Amin Mokisht--excluded from NDP candidacy in the 2005 elections--has decided to run as an independent. Several NDP leaderships, who were previously excluded for holding positions in the party's organization, have decided to run as independents. They include Gamal al-Salik, NDP workers' secretary, Shazli Korbawi--member of the governorate's bureau and municipal council, and Gaber al-Sherif. Privately-owned Youm 7 reports that candidates vying for NDP nominations over the workers and farmers seat in the Alexandria district of Mina al-Basal are ready to file legal complaints in the event that the NDP decides to nominate Mohammed Rashad Osman--a famous billionaire, and son of woods' trader Rashad Osman. Mohammed Rashad Osman had originally registered as professionals candidate but later changed his status to “farmer.” Other NDP candidates have distributed a document proving that Osman heads an investment company and his membership card in the lawyers' syndicate as evidence that he cannot be considered a “farmer.” Osman had bought land and suspended his membership in the lawyers' syndicate to obtain the status of “farmer.” Youm 7 also reports that the sixth district in Bandar Al-Mahalla is witnessing heated competition within the NDP and among party leaderships regarding the selection of a strong candidate who can compete against current Muslim Brotherhood representative and Guidance Bureau member Saad al-Husseini. According to the report, there are signs that NDP leaderships favor the candidacy of Mahmoud al-Shami, whose father previously lost the battle against al-Husseini and who thus has personal reason to avenge his father's loss. Finally, Al-Wafd reports that rumors that the unpopular Abul Moneim al-Samak won NDP candidacy in Sharqiya's twelfth district have significant popular disaffection as district residents called into question the NDP's assertions that candidate selection does not involve favoritism. Egypt's papers: Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party Youm7: Weekly, privately owned Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
