CAIRO - The assault on presidential hopeful Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh on the Cairo Ring Road last week, the nature of which is yet to be determined by the police, has given rise to a question concerning the protection of candidates vying for the presidential post. Whether Abul Fotouh was attacked for political reasons or fell victim to an armed robbery like many Egyptians stripped of their cars and valuables due to a security breakdown in the wake of the revolution, the incident leads to the fear that other candidates might also be targeted. Presidential campaigning is a new practice and has to take place in a climate of diminished security, despite the Ministry of Interior's effort to restore law and order and protect the candidates. Some security experts think that this is an issue worth discussing. The current presidential hopefuls' activities across the country are prompted by the approaching deadline on March 10; they enrich and intensify the political practice. Yet, based on the assault on Abul Fotouh, security expert Sameh Seif el-Yazal, head of Al-Gomhuria Centre for Political and Security Studies, has set the alarm and thinks that a new phase of what could be termed ‘political crimes' has started. In his opinion, these candidates have to be protected by providing their residences with special security. Their campaigning tours to different governorates need to be equally protected until the new President is elected. The fact that these days professional thugs were easy to hire required stringent protection plans by means of state-of-the-art technology and well-trained staff, Seif el-Yazal told Al-Gomhuriya Arabic newspaper. However, Nabil el-Habet, another security expert, believes that unless there are direct threats endangering the lives of presidential hopefuls it would be difficult to provide protection round the clock. “Such a measure could be well beyond the current abilities of the Interior Ministry, which is already overburdened,” said the security expert. The shadow of former police practices, where priority was given to the protection of symbols of the ruling regime rather than the citizens, could however render such a suggestion as reminiscent of the old ways. According to el-Habet, presidential hopefuls are likely to refuse the idea of security escorts. He personally places the assault on Abul Fotouh within the context of poor security where carjacking by armed thugs has become widespread. “The incident has mainly received such huge media attention thanks to Abul Fotouh popularity,” he said. But Abul Fotouh is not alone. Several other celebrities have undergone the same experience, such as Mohamed el-Beltagi, Secretary General of the Freedom and Justice Party (the political wing of the Muslim Brothers), and film actress Bassma accompanied by Amr Hamzawi, professor of political science and now a parliament member, when her car was stolen at gunpoint. The rising sense of insecurity, whether on the part of presidential candidates, citizens or children on their way to school, makes safety and security a pressing demand, not only in the opinion of experts but in the eyes of the entire society.
