State-owned papers focus on the Egypt-Palestine summit in Sharm el-Sheikh today, at which President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen discussed Palestinian unity and Israeli settlements. Al-Ahram runs with the headline: “Mubarak and Abu Mazen discuss the Palestinian position and Israeli intransigence.” Its report notes that a Palestinian delegation sent congratulations to Mubarak following his successful surgery and cites Abu Mazen as saying the summit has reviewed the developments on the Palestinian front as well as the outcome of the Arab League summit in Sirt, Libya, which both the Palestinians and Egypt considered as a success.
Al-Akhbar and Al-Gomhorriya both run with a headline based on Abu Mazen’s statements that Israel had no right to deport Palestinians and that “[t]he Gaza strip and the West Bank are one geographical unit under Palestinian sovereignty.” According to Al-Gomhorriya’s report, Abu Mazen stated that “[The Palestinans] are not uncompromising and [their] position is characterized by leniency and agrees with the US and international community’s position.” The report also cites Abu Mazen’s position that halting Israeli settlement construction is a prerequisite for resuming peace negotiations, and that the Palestinians will resort to the UN Security Council if faced with no alternative.
Shura Council speaker and ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) secretary general Safwat el-Sherif’s appearance on Al-Hurra TV station continues to receive coverage. Al-Ahram and Al-Gomhorriya report that el-Sherif stated that “Egypt is not a monarchy,” and “there is no succession in Egypt.” El-Sherif noted that the NDP would not broach the subject of presidential elections until the end of the year, once the parliamentary and Shura council elections are concluded, according to Al-Gomhorriya’s report. Al-Ahram cites el-Sherif as saying “President Mubarak is the most worthy to bear the responsibility [of leadership] now and in the future,” while Al-Gomhorriya reports that el-Sherif denied claims that the NDP is striking pre-election deals with the Muslim Brotherhood. “There is no truth to these claims,” said el-Sherif. “We do not make deals with other political parties–we only conduct open and transparent discussions with them.”
Opposition and independent papers focus on outraged responses to NDP representatives who called for opening fire on protesters. Al-Wafd reported that Hafez Abu Saada, director of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, called on both Prosecutor General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud and parliament speaker Fathi Sorour to investigate “incitement” to open fire on protesting demonstrators. Abu Saada threatened to take his report to the United Nations if the NDP failed to clarify its position and apologize for its representatives’ transgressions, reports Al-Wafd, who quote Abu Saada as stating: “These [representatives] are irresponsible and should be stripped of their positions. No one who incites others to murder citizens deserves a seat in parliament.”
Al-Dostour reports that the former head of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center Ahmed Seif considers the NDP representatives’ position “fascist” and a throwback to the days of the British occupation when British soldiers were ordered to open fire on Egyptians calling for their expulsion.
Rose el-Youssef’s top story concerns the ongoing disputes among the Nile Basin member states, and runs with the headline: “Three Egyptian constants in the Nile water issue.” The report notes Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nasr Eddin Allam’s position, which he outlined to parliament yesterday: Egypt will not sign any treaty unless the treaty protects its rights and current Nile water uses. Any treaty signed before the disputes are resolved between member states will not safeguard Egypt’s interests, and if certain member states were to devise an agreement without the inclusion of Egypt, this would be in violation of the Nile Basin Initiative’s by-laws, and would not be binding on Egypt.
Al-Shorouq also runs a front-page story about “the first joint demonstration” of the workers of three separate companies. Employees from the Nubareya Agricultural Services and Land Development company, from Salemco, and from the land development sector, held a joint demonstration in front of parliament chanting slogans and calling for an “Association of Workers’ Movements.” Employees from the Tanta Flax and Oils company were blocked at Hussein Hegazy street in front of the ministerial council building by state security forces, and were prevented from joining the other demonstrating workers.
Egypt’s newspapers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run
Rose el-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party’s Policies Secretariat
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouq:Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party
Youm7: Weekly, privately owned
Sawt el-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
