On Thursday, the Egyptian Information Minister Anas al-Fiqi suspended all radio and television presenters running in the 28 November parliamentary elections. They will be permitted to resume their responsibilities once elections are over.
According to a ministry statement, the suspension is in accordance with the bylaws of the Ministry of Information and the High Elections Commission, which aims to provide equal opportunities for all candidates running in the elections.
Observers say the government has recently been cracking down on the media in the face of the approaching elections, in which the ruling National Democratic Party seeks to secure a landslide victory in preparation for the 2011 presidential elections.
They also project that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will run for a sixth term next year.
The Egyptian authorities has closed down 15 television channels in less than a month, some of which were seen as critical of the government, while others were deemed to be inciting sectarianism.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
