CAIRO: Zamalek Sporting Club is soon to decide on a new president and new board members, with candidates competing fiercely for the vote in elections to be held on July 25. Seven nominees are running for the presidency, while another 36 vie for board membership. The next president will be chosen from among Mamdouh Abbas, Mandoh El-Husseini, Ismail Selim, Abdel Tawab Khalaf, Khaled El-Qoushy, Mahmoud Khaled Fathy and Nasser Metwaly Hassanein. Several big names, including Morsi Attallah and Kamal Darwish, refused to nominate themselves, sparking questions as to why, considering the large support they enjoy from club members and fans. Meanwhile, Mortada Mansour was denied from participating in the elections after his appeal against his expulsion from the club was put on hold. Among those who nominated themselves for board membership were: Hani El-Attal, Omar Haridy, Yasser Idris, Hany Zada, Azmy Megahed, Khaled Latif, Ibrahim Youssef, Yehia Mostafa Kamal Helmy, Mohamed El-Montasser El-Zayat, Abdallah George Saad, Raouf Gasser and Karim Hassan Shehata. "The competition is very tough this year and all candidates are exerting a lot of effort to gain more votes, but squabbles are still there, Dr Kamal Darwish told daily news Egypt. "The impacts of 2005's election are still obvious, he added. Club members are wondering why Morsi Attalah, who was appointed president for eight months in 2005, didn't nominate himself. Attalah's reign is said to have been the best and calmest period the club has witnessed in the last four years. The famous Al-Ahram columnist justified his decision by the lack of a unified roster to support him in his campaign. Also, he wrote in his column that the atmosphere in the club is discouraging for those who want to change things for the better. Kamal Darwish, meanwhile, gave up his campaign in the last minutes before the deadline for nominations. "I wanted to enter the elections as a group in a transitional period to help the club overcome its problems and isolate ourselves from the ongoing conflict, Darwish said. With votes scattered over the large number of nominees, no one individual is certain of winning, a situation which has lead candidates to create groups of several nominees in unified rosters. "There are three real candidates: Mamdouh Abbas, Ismail Selim and Mandooh El-Husseini. The rest are either nominating themselves instead of Mortada Mansour or are seeking fame, Darwish said. Each candidate is doing his best to influence voters. Mamdouh Abbas is relying on his recent achievements as an appointed interim president in establishing the social facilities and renewing the football team's dressing room. He hopes his achievements with the football team after winning the Egypt Cup in May and purchasing several star players for the team will bring him success. Other candidates like Mandooh El-Husseini and Ismail Selim rely on their history with the club. "We are seeking to restructure the club and establish the 6th of October branch, as well as enhancing services offered for the members inside the club, said Ahmed Galal Ibrahim, one of the candidates running for board membership. He assured that whoever wins the election should work on club reformation and operate as a family to restore the club's home. Those fans whose main interest is the football team are wondering who will fund the new players' deals in case the current board fails in the elections. They will also keep an eye on how the football team will be affected by the elections, considering the upcoming matches in the African Champions League and Super Cup. But candidates are clear that concerns over the football team must not dominate the elections. "Zamalek is a rich club and can fund new deals; and businessmen can help in the funding, said Galal. Both club members and football supporters will have to wait until the end of July to see who will take the reins at Zamalek.
