Egyptian Parliamentary candidates didn't show up with campaigns as what was expected. The situation now is all about tackling who will be Egypt's next president without much concern being paid to Parliamentary candidates. At their side, they haven't given any considerable effort that could be mentioned. While in countries like the United States for instance, Senators have their own websites with their mission and accomplishments being stated. Here, it would be great if we just could distinguish at least the candidate's name. The history of Egyptian Parliamentary campaigns sheds light on how they lack action rather than just signs being hanged in advance of the parliamentary process. We do see names on the streets mentioning candidate's name and their symbols. What about their plans or what the candidate has accomplished already, nothing is said about that. Even when they were trying to promote themselves, they have picked the worst way ever. They have pasted fliers with their photos everywhere or signs hanged randomly distorting country's streets. Even one has commented on this saying, “How could I elect a candidate who resorted when persuading me to vote for him to distorting my country's image with his fliers?“ Indeed, if this was the candidate's first option to get votes, what should we expect more from him when he only cares about votes at the expense of his country? I won't elect a candidate that I know nothing about but his name. Even their names are hard to remember when they have done nothing but intensive campaigns right before the election. Few months are separating us to the parliamentary elections, and those demanding postponing the parliamentary elections haven't set any alternative plan if their call for a Constitution comes first went with the wind. They are running out of time and instead urging all political parties to push their candidates with proper plans about their vision of the current situation and how they are going to deal with it, they are waiting for their calls to come true. When seeing Egyptian daily TV shows, you rarely see a parliament candidate. The debate is all about the coming presidential campaign, but they are ignoring an important fact which is the Constitution now will be in the wrong hands, in the hands of people who exerted no effort at all to win my vote and yours. If the past scenario of persuading voters to give out their votes for the candidates for a bag of rice and other nutritional commodities repeats again, then we have certainly to worry about any piece of legislation that comes out from the “honorable” Parliament. People who are in need of food and basic daily needs would trade off their votes. And we will all pay out the price then. The parliamentary members previous techniques unfortunately have worked out in exploiting voters need for something in return of their votes. Such legal but offensive techniques question how we should expect the next parliament members, if they are in the very beginning of the parliamentary elections' round used deceptive methods to get votes, exploit the needy who they supposedly serve not to make use of their financially deteriorated stance, what could we expect? The Parliament, which should have come as a first priority nowadays, unfortunately listed in the end of our list. Extraordinary attention paid to presidential elections though the parliament will be the one who have the sufficient authority to determine either the presidents' or the Executive branch's authorities. What are we waiting for? Until the twisted familiar methods of previous candidates repeats again, and we find ourselves with the punch of people dominating the parliament and deciding how our constitution would be. The time now is certainly not the time for presidential candidates. Before it becomes too late, we need to focus on parliamentary candidates, yet the amendment made to eliminate the candidate's age to be a minimum age of 25-years-old has been considerable movement in the way of democracy. We need to make sure that our Constitution will be in the right hands, and those who win be the ones who really deserve it, not those who afford fancy campaigns. Is it too much to ask for? BM
