Ahmed Ezz, steel tycoon and senior member of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), accused the independent press of deliberately denigrating the achievements of the government, during a meeting at the Lions Club on Wednesday. "They like to give a bleak picture of everything," he said, referring to the newspapers Al-Masry Al-Youm and Al-Shorouq. "The state-owned press is more objective and credible," he added. "The same goes for TV talk shows, which see the glass as half empty," he added, referring to '10 PM', 'Life Today' and '90 Minutes' talk shows. "Their presenters told me they know the truth but must say what their viewers like to hear." "My wife often advises me to reply to some of what the press prints, but I see no point to it," he said. Ezz's wife Shahinaz el-Naggar, a former member of parliament, seldom appears with him in public. Asked about certain NDP members who were charged with felonies, Ezz admitted that his party made a mistake appointing them in the first place. "But the new cadres are an example of the perfect representative," he noted. On the lighter side, asked if he was a fan of a certain football club, Ezz said: "I watch and practice bodybuilding." The Lions Club at the end of the meeting, gave el-Naggar an honorary membership. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
