I don't know how long the president's last speech before the People's Assembly was, but it was definitely the shortest speech he has ever delivered since coming to power in 1981. In his last six speeches before parliament, the president spoke for an entire hour each time, explaining in detail the government's policies--at both the local and international levels--and briefing parliament on new draft legislation. It's normal for people to wonder why the president's speech was shorter this time, on such an important occasion--especially given current internal and external conditions far worse than ever before. Suffice it to say that, this time around, the president was concentrating more on how he delivered his speech than its content, as he is eager to demonstrate that he is still in good health. The public expected the president to talk in greater detail on a number of critical issues--such as the reported rigging of the parliamentary polls, or the deterioration of the Middle East peace talks. My only explanation for this is that the president had been deliberately excused from talking for too long, given his age. The president now spends most of his time in Sharm al-Sheikh, where the air is cleaner. He has not participated in summits overseas in the past two years. And when he does travel abroad, he spends only a few hours there before flying back home--with the exception of his last visit to the United States, which came after a five-year hiatus. The president smiled throughout his address and maintained a vibrant tone. But as to the speech itself, it utterly failed to answer any of the questions with which the public is most concerned. It's obvious that the president wanted to deliver the message that his health still allowed him to run for a sixth executive term on the premise that he would improve living standards for the people--particularly those of the low-income brackets. The way I see it, the president was already campaigning for his upcoming electoral bid. As the president did not say anything of significance, we can hardly be optimistic about our future, since the state itself obviously lacks any clear vision in this regard. I cannot imagine the president running in the 2011 elections at his age, nor can I imagine him rallying in the countryside sporting casual wear as he did in 2005--unless the recent parliamentary polls were conducted in such a way as to ensure there would be no one to oppose him.
