CAIRO: I cannot believe the rumor that claims that the National Democratic Party has taken over Yassa Pasha Andraus Palace, a landmark historical palace in Luxor. The palace has a picturesque architectural style, which dates back more than a century ago. I cannot believe either that the owners of this palace are alive and everyone knows them. I cannot believe that after more than 50 years of lengthy litigation and despite a ruling issued in their favor in 2002 by the Qena Administrative Court to vacate the palace the ruling National Democratic Party, which is responsible for protecting the property of the citizens, has so far failed to implement the ruling. I cannot believe that the party and the Luxor administrative prosecutor - the de facto occupiers of the palace - have circumvented the irrevocable and final decision by lodging several appeals like inexperienced lawyers, who resort to procedural appeals for their lack of a legal argument to substantiate their case, but the court turned down all of them on the grounds that they could not secure a stay of execution. I cannot believe that the bodies that are supposed to set an example by obeying the law have gone so far in this shameful stance, as they have shamelessly informed the owners that they would not implement the ruling before finding an alternative place. I cannot believe that the so-called National Democratic Party has resorted to such a ridiculous pretext, which has never been used by any occupier throughout history - as never heard that France informed Algeria that it would not withdraw before finding another country to colonize, for instance. Neither did Israel ask for other territories to occupy before withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. I cannot believe that this palace has been classified as one of Luxor's architectural monuments and thus becomes part of the heritage we take pride in. Over more than half a century of occupation there has been a continuous violation of the architectural and aesthetic value of the palace, as the upper storey was demolished and the palace's beautiful dome was removed without the consent of the owners. I cannot believe that this palace, which is now illegally occupied by the ruling party, is the same beautiful palace whose picture appeared in "Egypt: The Living Past by T.G.H. James and photographed by Graham Harrison. The book described the palace in page 146 as "a spectacular palace built in the ancient French style in the late 19th century and early 20th century. I cannot believe that the palace is the same neglected building with an ugly white signboard reading "The Luxor Administrative Prosecution and another uglier, yet twice a big black one that says "The National Democratic Party in Arabic and English at its gate. The signboards show that the NDP has no scruples about showing foreigners how they usurp other people's property. I cannot believe that this palace was visited by Saad Zaghloul, Mustafa An-Nahas, Sheikh Mohammad Abdo, Ethiopian Emperor Hilasilasi, the kings of Italy, Belgium, Romania and the family of the Czar of Russia. The palace's corridors are decked out with interesting stories of each of those leaders' visits. The reason I do not believe this disgraceful accusation, which can be proven with pictures and documents, is that the great National Democratic Party in which we take pride is a descendant of distinguished national figures like Saad Zaghloul and Sheikh Mohammad Abdo. Therefore, the NDP is the real inheritor of this palace not the people of Luxor who have built the palace and who want to kick the NDP out and turn the palace into a cultural center or a museum that benefits no one. So it is the right of the ruling party to deal with the law according to the local proverb: immerse the ruling in water and drink it. Such a prescription could be a cure for us, the inheritors and for this country, which is lucky to have this party, the protector of the rule of law. Mohamed Salmawy is President of the Arab Writers' Union and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Hebdo.
