US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8462

UNCLAS CAIRO 008462 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/PD FOR FRANK FINVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KPAO, KMDR, OPRC, SY, EG, Media Themes 
SUBJECT:  CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND SYRIA:  EGYPTIAN MEDIA 
THEMES, OCTOBER 31 TO NOVEMBER 6 
 
1.  Summary:  With Egypt's parliamentary elections 
scheduled for November 9, the pro-government media reported 
on several government initiatives  such as a 20 percent 
bonus for government employees and a program to provide 
low-cost housing.  Al-Ahram's editor-in-chief criticized 
the Muslim Brotherhood for making "all kinds of promises 
usually unfulfilled," while an independent commentator 
lamented the problem of "bribery" in Egyptian elections. 
Commentators continued to support Syria in light of U.N. 
Resolution 1636, though several voices critical of Syria 
emerged.  The editor of pro-government Al-Akhbar wrote on 
November 5 that Syria should "respond to the resolution 
positively and transparently by refraining from the 
language of arrogance, challenge, and defiance  the same 
language used by Saddam Hussein before Iraq's downfall." 
End summary. 
 
2.  November parliamentary elections:  The pro-government 
media announced on November 3 that government employees 
would receive a 20 percent bonus in January, then announced 
two days later that Prime Minister Nazif would chair a 
Cabinet meeting November 8 to "discuss distributing half a 
million low-cost housing units to youths in installments 
over forty years."  Allegations of vote buying continued to 
appear in the independent press and in opposition daily Al- 
Wafd (circulation: 50,000).  Al-Akhbar (circulation: 
800,000) quoted on November 5 Minister of Justice Mahmoud 
Abul Leil as saying that Egyptian civil society groups 
would not be allowed to "monitor," but could "follow up on" 
elections.  The editor-in-chief of pro-government daily Al- 
Ahram (circulation: 750,000), Osama Saraya, wrote on 
November 3 that Muslim Brotherhood (MB) candidates were 
making "all kinds of promises  usually unfulfilled  in 
order to win votes."  Saraya then criticized the MB for 
"mixing religion with politics and refusing to accept 
democratization."  On November 3, Al-Akhbar's popular back 
page ran a cartoon of a smiling politician making promises 
to a cheering crowd:  "I promise I'll make all your days 
feasts and I'll call for making the small feast fifteen 
days and the big feast a month and half."  A columnist 
opined in independent daily Nahdet Masr (circulation: 
25,000) October 31 that "even if everything in the coming 
elections is honest and transparent, the opposition will 
still not win, because the election's main problem is 
bribery." 
 
3.  Syria:  Media commentary continued to focus on Syria 
and largely condemned U.N. resolution 1636.  While several 
commentators continued to condemn international pressure 
e 
against Syria as part of an "American" or "pro-Israeli" 
plot, more voices critical of Syria began to emerge.  One 
liberal commentator writing in Al-Ahram on November 5 
argued that Syria should "cooperate fully with the 
investigating commission."  Another liberal commentator 
writing the same day in Al-Ahram criticized Syrian foreign 
policy as belonging to "the 80s and 90s and does not fit in 
with current international developments anymore and should 
be reconsidered."  The editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar also 
wrote on November 5, "Holding an Arab summit or criticizing 
U.S. policy is not the way to deal with Resolution 1636. 
The right way is to respond to the resolution positively 
and transparently by refraining from the language of 
arrogance, challenge, and defiance  the same language used 
by Saddam Hussein before Iraq's downfall." 
 
RICCIARDONE