The front-page headlines of Wednesday’s dailies focus primarily on the political maneuvering of the ruling party and opposition forces ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 November. Other front-page headlines pertain to the conditions of Egyptian pilgrims traveling to Mecca for the annual Hajj.
In state-owned Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar dailies, the largest front-page headlines focus on government plans to secure the supply of meat and basic commodities ahead of the festive Eid holiday. The largest secondary headlines pertain to the government's pledges, policies and plans for the impending parliamentary poll.
Al-Akhbar's chief headline reads "Ample provision of essential goods and Eid meats at affordable prices." The second chief headline is: "In his address to the party's supreme committee today: Mubarak launches electoral program for the National Democratic Party."
In Al-Ahram, the largest headline reads "Ample provisions of (sacrificial) meat at affordable prices, greater number of cooking gas-cylinders for (use in the rural) governorates." The headline beneath states "The government abides by organization of transparent elections, with guarantees of equal opportunities for each candidate." In reference to Muslim Brotherhood electoral campaigns, a marginal headline reads "Three members of the outlawed (society) arrested in Kafr al-Sheikh."
"Al-Shorouk exposes, with documents, the action plan of the Muslim Brotherhood in the battle for the People's Assembly" runs the largest headline in the independent Al-Shorouk Newspaper. The sub-headers read "General objective of campaign to encourage populace to vote, then win them over to the Islamist candidate; localized channels broadcast via video center" alongside "Calls to judges to take 'oath of truthfulness'," and "Supreme guide calls for preserving the sanctity of next parliament."
Al-Shourok runs another large headline about the ruling NDP reading "Mubarak explains his 'strategic directives' at National Democratic Party mini-conference today." Another headline posits "Splinters in the structure of the National Democratic Party." Its sub-headline states "Large tribes and families declare withdrawals from party, and stand in line with the opposition." In a similar thread, Al-Ahram runs the following sub-headline: "Schisms and withdrawals due to NDP's nomination rosters."
The independent Al-Dostour runs a chief headline reading "Hackers take control of ElBaradei's campaign website, only two days after the planting of a covert listening (bugging) device is exposed." The article mentions how the website for the reform campaign of former UN atomic energy chief Mohamed ElBaradei was subjected to a hack attack that disabled it. ElBaradei’s campaigners report that the site was rendered inaccessible on Tuesday. A new website will be launched to replace it within days, however, they added. ElBaradei has repeatedly exhorted voters to boycott the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
In a related headline, "Boycott front grows after the nominations of 29 members of the (Muslim) Brotherhood are struck-off," the following article mentions that, in light of the decision of the state-appointed High Elections Committee to deny these candidacies, the Brotherhood's boycott camp has criticized the group’s decision to partake in the poll. Describing it as "the Brotherhood's agreement to participate in a farcical play, which is directed by the National Democratic Party."
Al-Ahram runs another headline that reads "10,000 requests from civil society organizations to monitor the elections." In other news Al-Akhbar runs "Suzanne Mubarak in Qena: We need a powerful representation of women in parliament." As for Al-Ahram, it covers the First Lady’s event with the following headline "Suzanne Mubarak in Qena: The quota for female parliamentarians is not an Egyptian innovation, 97 countries implement such a system."
In terms of Hajj news coverage, Al-Ahram states "85 buses to transport lottery (winning) pilgrims to Mena" in Saudi Arabia but follows with the caveat "Number of (natural) deaths among Egyptian pilgrims rises to nine." In Al-Shorouk a headline reads "The official pilgrimage delegation arrives in Mecca, and a hot-line for pilgrims' complaints," while, according to Al-Akhbar, "The Egyptian pilgrims are well," and–in a profile article–"The oldest Egyptian pilgrim: I am 103 years old, and I have 50 grandchildren."
Egypt's papers:
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-Shorouk: 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
