US embassy cable - 05CAIRO4430

UNCLAS CAIRO 004430 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KPAO, EG, Media Themes 
SUBJECT:  FAMILY-FRIENDLY TAXES AND DOCTORS WITHOUT 
"LIMITS":  EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, JUNE 6 TO 12 
 
REF:  CAIRO 4127 
 
1.  Summary:  The pro-government media highlighted a new 
tax law, signed by President Mubarak on June 8.  TV talk 
shows hosted a parade of government spokesmen and financial 
experts who commented positively on the law over the 
weekend.  Meanwhile, the opposition and independent press 
continued to criticize the government over the May 25 
referendum, with the editor of a popular weekly attacking 
several leading political figures by name.  The print media 
began to openly comment on rumored changes in the 
leadership of the pro-government press - the topic of 
discussion among journalists for the past month.  A popular 
cartoonist attacked high medical costs in Egypt by 
lampooning doctors in a series of cartoons.  End summary. 
 
2.  New tax law:  Pro-government press and TV turned the 
spotlight away from the May 25 referendum and onto a new 
tax bill, signed by President Mubarak on June 8.  The 
headline in pro-government Al Ahram (circulation: 750,000) 
on June 9 read:  "Mubarak Signs New Tax Law Guaranteeing 
Higher Income and Standard of Living to All Egyptian 
Families."  Highly positive (and lengthy) TV coverage 
showed Mubarak signing the new tax law in the presence of 
PM Nazif and other government leaders.  Government 
spokesmen and financial experts appeared on Egyptian TV 
talk shows during the weekend to publicize the law.  "This 
new law is a cultural leap.  It establishes a new code of 
trust based on mutual respect between the taxpayer and the 
government," stated the Chairman of the Taxation Authority 
on Egyptian Channel 1's program "Economic Forum" on June 
12.  While the opposition press was largely quiet about the 
new tax law, one commentator in independent Nahdet Masr 
(circulation: 20,000) warned on June 12, "The average 
Egyptian now has to pay real taxes  and receive real 
services." 
 
3.  Criticism of May 25 referendum continues:  The Editor- 
in-chief of popular, independent weekly Sawt Al Umma 
(circulation: 50,000) attacked NDP Secretary General Safwat 
El Sherif and Speaker of the Parliament Fathi Sorour, 
writing on June 12:  "[They] will try to remain in power 
until they get the last drop of Egypt's wealth.  To bring 
about reform, these men should retire from public life." 
On June 11, a pro-reform commentator in Al Ahram 
highlighted President Bush's remarks about ensuring a free 
and open election in Egypt, commenting, "Egypt should 
implement real democracy to improve our image abroad." 
Opposition Al Wafd (circulation: 180,000) continued its 
critical coverage of the government's reform efforts by 
publishing a commentary by Islamist and regular Al Ahram 
contributor Fahmy Huweidy on June 10.  Huweidy wrote that 
Egypt was "politically dead" and that this year's scheduled 
presidential elections would be "a farce." 
 
4.  Changes in pro-government press:  The print media 
continued to buzz with rumors of a shake-up in the pro- 
government press (reftel).  A commentator writing in Al 
Ahram  one of the alleged targets of a shake-up - stated 
on June 7, "The criteria for choosing leadership and 
management according to their loyalty is not acceptable." 
The Editor-in-chief of independent Al Masry Al Youm 
(circulation: 20,000) complained in a June 12 commentary 
that, though changes were expected in the pro-government 
press, "nothing has changed."  A commentator in the same 
newspaper wrote on June 8, "The government should make a 
statement about the upcoming changes in the (pro- 
government) press leadership and not leave us to sink in a 
sea of rumors." 
 
 
5.  Doctors without "limits":  Popular cartoonist Mustafa 
Hussein of pro-government Al Akhbar (circulation: 800,000) 
published a series of cartoons June 5  12 criticizing 
doctors' fees in Egypt.  The first cartoon in the series, 
published on June 5, shows a doctor escorting an old man to 
his clinic with exorbitant prices listed on the wall. 
"Doctors without borders," says the doctor, playing on the 
Arabic word "hudud" ("borders"  or "limits") to joke about 
his prices.  Another cartoon in the series, published on 
June 12, quotes a doctor talking to his friend (with an 
exorbitant clinic visit fee posted on the wall behind him): 
"I feel so sorry for the patients that I give them 
anesthesia before taking their money." 
 
GRAY 
Y