“The sky is raining electoral contestations” in Kafr al-Sheikh, reports privately-owned Al-Dostour. The phrase alludes to the increasingly popular use of motions to contest election candidacies. Several opposition and independent candidates are employing this measure against National Democratic Party (NDP) competition, primarily for alleged illegal registration as “workers” and “peasants.” In Kafr al-Sheikh, the abundance of filed motions is causing “anxiety” among NDP candidates, according to Al-Dostour. Fourteen candidates, the majority NDP party members, were forced to switch their status from “workers” to “professionals” because they achieved a specific educational ceiling. Privately-owned Al-Shorouk reports the High Elections Commission in Kafr al-Sheikh received 76 motions demanding the status of certain NDP candidates be changed from “workers” to “professionals”. Candidates include Hala Abul Saad, Mohammed Hashim, and Ihab Abdul Rahman Itman. In the Manyal district of Cairo, Wafd party candidate Mahmoud Dashisha presented a motion to the elections commission against NDP candidate Fathi Amin Abdul Hamid. Dashisha provided evidence that Galid does not qualify as a “worker,” reports Al-Wafd, published by the liberal Wafd party. In Red Sea Governorate, independent Khaled Abbas Bahdali submitted motions to contest three NDP candidacies and one independent, reports state-run Al-Akhbar. The motions demand the candidates switch their status from “workers” and “peasants” to “professionals”. In Ismaliya, Wafd party candidate Salah al-Sayigh contested NDP competitor Ali al-Aswad's candidacy on the basis that al-Aswad did not performed his military duties, holds dual Egyptian-American citizenship, and is running illegally as a “farmer”, reports Al-Wafd. Al-Sayigh also contested the candidacy of his independent competitor, Ahmed Abu Zeid, arguing that Abu Zeid is running as a “worker” despite the fact that he is retired and no longer a trade union member. In other developments, excluded NDP candidates are continuing their struggle against party leadership. Al-Shorouk reports the court of administrative justice ruled that the power of attorney granted by General Abdul Wahab Kahlil to the NDP to submit and withdraw his candidacy application should be canceled. The court's ruling permits the excluded candidate Khalil to run as an independent. Several other excluded NDP candidates followed suit. Interestingly, Al-Dostour reports excluded NDP candidates in Cairo's Nozha district are allying themselves with Muslim Brotherhood candidates against NDP nominations. Excluded NDP candidates also submitted collective party resignations, organized protests, and planned conferences in several governorates including Sinai and Qalyoubia, reports Al-Shorouk. In Qalyoubia, excluded candidates will hold a conference at the lawyers' syndicate on Saturday and will organize a silent march from the syndicate to the headquarters of the NDP's general secretariat in Qalyoubia. Al-Shorouk also reports that four NDP members in the district of Badrashin in October 6 Governorate have collectively resigned from the NDP following their exclusion from the party's list. In Aswan, 21 women excluded from the NDP's female quota list have decided to lend their support to Karima Mokhtar, an excluded candidate who successfully registered independent, according to Al-Shorouk. In Beheira, 40 women excluded from NDP's list submitted their resignations to protest the party's “fraudulent” selection process. Al-Dostour reports that Samya Abdallah--one of the excluded NDP female candidates in Qena--said the party nominated two unpopular candidates and excluded accomplished ones. 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 el-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 el-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
