No more public bribery from NDP politicians

An increase in meat prices in Egypt used to compel the poor to hold huge gatherings around the prey (Odhia) slaughtered by wealthy businessmen throughout the country for Eid Al Adha. This year is starkly different this year as most businessmen belong to the disbanded National Democratic Party (NDP) of the ousted regime are in jail. One of the ploys used by NDP politicians to gain public support was distributing meat for votes, which political commentators said was absent this year.       In Sayeda Zeinab, the most prominent figure who used the meat-for-votes technique was Fathy Soruor, the former speaker of the People's Assembly in Egypt who used toview the meat distribution while standing beside his luxury car to view the poor praying for his health and longevity for half a kilo of meat.   Ahmed Ali, a Sayeda Zeinab resident said: "We are sure that we won't see Sorour this year because he is in jail for being charged in the Battle of the Camel, but we are waiting for someone else to come and distribute meat on the poor here in this humble neighborhood." Another resident of El Dhaher neighbourhood said: "The parliament member of the NDP, businessman Ragab Helal Hemaida, used to slaughter calves in the morning on Eid Al Adha and distribute their meat to the poor, but now his household is occupied by supporting him as he is in jail after being charged of killing the protestors."         From Sorour and Hemaida to the giant of charity in Giza, Mohamed Abu El Enain, founder of Abu El Enain Association for assisting the poor located at Al Bahr Al A'azam street in Cairo established outlets throughout the surrounding streets to distribute meat.        While Abu El Enain disappeared this year, Mohamed Housein, one of Giza inhabitants, said: "We feel that we were let down with no one to take care of us and give to us from what he was given by Allah. Everyone is haunted by the elections and political affairs leaving the poor alone." The problem is that political affairs swallowed the landscape in Egypt, which is serious when we take into account the millions of poor in this country who do not care about politics. The most important thing to these people is to spend a nice short time with the family eating meat in the evening.        On a positive note, most politicians in Egypt quit buying votes with food, especially meat, which was confirmed by Mohamed Hossam who said: "We will never sell our votes for some kilograms of meat. Instead, we will endure poverty to pass this period to an honorable and satisfying life and eliminate oppression and humiliation we see in the hands of those wealthy people who were NDP members."     On the institutional level, most charity associations complained about the lack of donations this year as everybody disappeared after the 25 January Revolution and the dominance of loose security and bullying. Charity heads expressed their hope to see businessmen back again to support the poor.