US embassy cable - 05CAIRO4598

UNCLAS CAIRO 004598 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KPAO, IZ, EG 
SUBJECT:  OPPOSITION PRESS AGREES WITH CHANGES TO 
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AMENDMENT; NO TO ELECTION MONITORS: 
EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, JUNE 12 TO 18 
 
 
1.  Summary:  Opposition press eagerly engaged in the 
debate over changes made by Parliament to the 
constitutional amendment on Egypt\'s presidential elections 
law  changes that they perceived would exclude Gamal 
Mubarak from running for the presidency.  However, one 
commentator in leading pro-government daily Al Ahram 
remained unimpressed by Egypt\'s reforms, comparing Egypt 
unfavorably to Syria.  Most commentators continued to 
reject international election observers, while several 
reacted to recent violence in Iraq, with large-circulation 
pro-government daily Al Akhbar claiming that Zarqawi \"must 
be an American agent.\"  End summary. 
 
2.  Gamal thwarted?:  The opposition press expressed 
satisfaction with Parliament for having made two amendments 
to Egypt\'s presidential election law:  1)  a presidential 
candidate must not be a dual national and 2) a candidate 
must have completed his military service.  Leading anti- 
government critic opposition Al Wafd (circulation: 180,000) 
praised the amendments in its June 16 edition.  Previous to 
June 16, Al Wafd attacked Parliament for considering the 
possibility of not amending these two items.  Most papers 
agree that Gamal Mubarak did not serve in the military; 
however, the independent daily Al Masri Al Youm 
(circulation: 20,000) reported that Gamal had served in the 
Republican Guard.  Meanwhile, a report in independent 
weekly Al Dostour (circulation: 50,000) on June 15 demanded 
that Gamal Mubarak reveal whether or not he carries British 
citizenship.  In criticism aimed at the government\'s reform 
efforts, a June 16 commentary in pro-government Al Ahram 
(circulation: 750,000) compared Syria\'s \"old guard\" to 
Egypt\'s ruling NDP:  \"The only difference (between Egypt 
and Syria) is the speed of any so-called change.  In the 
end, the objective in both countries is keeping one party 
rule.\" 
 
3.  Election monitors in Egypt:  While TV and the print 
press reported on the third round of Lebanese parliamentary 
elections, Egyptian commentators were quiet on the results. 
Instead, commentators devoted their attention to Egypt\'s 
elections and the issue of international election monitors 
 for the most part, rejecting monitors.  A guest on 
Channel One\'s \"Halet Hiwar\" (\"State of Discussion\") on June 
16 declared, \"Egyptians refuse any foreign intervention in 
our elections.\"  On June 18 all newspapers reported on the 
claim by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar that elections in Egypt 
\"should not be monitored by any foreign agency unless the 
Egyptian government permits it.\"  The June 18 weekend 
edition of pro-government Al Akhbar, Akhbar Al Youm 
(circulation: 1,000,000), reported that leading 
intellectuals and opposition party officials \"reject 
international supervision of elections in Egypt.\"  However, 
a reformist commentator welcomed international observers in 
Al Ahram on June 18, writing, \"This issue has nothing to do 
with national sovereignty.  Since Egypt claims that its 
elections will be fair and free, having observers would 
improve Egypt\'s image abroad and affirm its leading role in 
the Arab world.\" 
 
4.  Iraq:  The Egyptian press and commentators returned to 
the well-worn theme of criticizing USG policy in Iraq. 
(Comment:  TV and print media coverage seemed to focus on 
the violence in Iraq more than at any other time during the 
past few months.  End comment.)  A June 17 unsigned 
editorial in Al Ahram criticized what it termed the 
\"alleged democracy and freedom in Iraq,\" claiming that the 
\"chaos\" and violence in Iraq was \"due to the presence of 
U.S. occupation troops.\"  Pro-government Al Akhbar 
(circulation: 800,000) went as far as to claim in an 
unsigned editorial on June 15, \"Zarqawi m