It seems voting in Egypt isn’t exactly the same as voting in the USA, but the USA will catch up pretty soon.
From the AP via CBS News:
“The [Muslim] Brotherhood operation in the neighborhood showed the blurriness of the line between campaigning and ‘assisting voters.’ Its activists sat behind a sign reading ‘Information’ while female volunteers chatted up voters near the entrance. None wore party logos, leading some voters to think they were from the state election commission.
While most voters merely needed help getting their [voter] numbers, one volunteer told an undecided voter to choose the scale, the soccer goal and the crocodile -- the campaign symbols of the [Muslim Brotherhood] party and its two local candidates. The symbols, on campaign literature and the ballot, are to help illiterate people recognize their choices.
. . . 70-year-old Sayida Mohammed walked from the volunteer's table to the polling station.
She was unclear which party she supported but knew which symbols to pick: the scale, the soccer goal and the crocodile.”
Ref: CBSNews - Islamist Majority
Islamism: Leading Islamist thinkers emphasized the enforcement of Sharia (Islamic Law); of pan-Islamic political unity; and of the elimination of non-Muslim, particularly Western military, economic, political, social, or cultural influences in the Muslim world, which they believe to be incompatible with Islam.
It’s beginning to look to poor old DonDiego a lot like the historical norm in first-time elections as Western Colonialism fell. Many times the sequence was “one man, one vote, . . . one election” as a second election became, umm, . . . unnecessary.
The Days of Mubarak may soon be fondly remembered.
Oh, . . . and next, . . . elections in Libya!
: : : : : EDITED TO ADD : : : : :
Today, Friday December 2nd the Egyptian Election Commisioner appeared at a news conference to announce the election results.
He revealed that voter turnout had been 62% a record "since the Pharaohs". (DonDiego suspects this is actually an all-time record as he is unaware of elections prior to the ascent of the Pharaohs.)
He then began announcing election results, but almost immediately excused himself saying he had "no more energy" and had "run out of gas." And left the room. (DonDiego attaches no significant importance to the abrupt departure, . . . hey, when one runs out of gas, one runs . . . out . . . of . . . gas. That’s all.)
Nonetheless, forecasts in the local media and from the parties themselves put the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) at around 40 per cent, the Salafis (an even more “conservative Islamist” party than the FJP) at about 20 per cent and a secular liberal alliance trailing in third place.
Ref: The Montreal Gazette
DonDiego says: "Farewell Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty! Adios Egyptian-support of US policies in the Mid-East!"
From the AP via CBS News:
“The [Muslim] Brotherhood operation in the neighborhood showed the blurriness of the line between campaigning and ‘assisting voters.’ Its activists sat behind a sign reading ‘Information’ while female volunteers chatted up voters near the entrance. None wore party logos, leading some voters to think they were from the state election commission.
While most voters merely needed help getting their [voter] numbers, one volunteer told an undecided voter to choose the scale, the soccer goal and the crocodile -- the campaign symbols of the [Muslim Brotherhood] party and its two local candidates. The symbols, on campaign literature and the ballot, are to help illiterate people recognize their choices.
. . . 70-year-old Sayida Mohammed walked from the volunteer's table to the polling station.
She was unclear which party she supported but knew which symbols to pick: the scale, the soccer goal and the crocodile.”
Ref: CBSNews - Islamist Majority
Islamism: Leading Islamist thinkers emphasized the enforcement of Sharia (Islamic Law); of pan-Islamic political unity; and of the elimination of non-Muslim, particularly Western military, economic, political, social, or cultural influences in the Muslim world, which they believe to be incompatible with Islam.
It’s beginning to look to poor old DonDiego a lot like the historical norm in first-time elections as Western Colonialism fell. Many times the sequence was “one man, one vote, . . . one election” as a second election became, umm, . . . unnecessary.
The Days of Mubarak may soon be fondly remembered.
Oh, . . . and next, . . . elections in Libya!
: : : : : EDITED TO ADD : : : : :
Today, Friday December 2nd the Egyptian Election Commisioner appeared at a news conference to announce the election results.
He revealed that voter turnout had been 62% a record "since the Pharaohs". (DonDiego suspects this is actually an all-time record as he is unaware of elections prior to the ascent of the Pharaohs.)
He then began announcing election results, but almost immediately excused himself saying he had "no more energy" and had "run out of gas." And left the room. (DonDiego attaches no significant importance to the abrupt departure, . . . hey, when one runs out of gas, one runs . . . out . . . of . . . gas. That’s all.)
Nonetheless, forecasts in the local media and from the parties themselves put the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) at around 40 per cent, the Salafis (an even more “conservative Islamist” party than the FJP) at about 20 per cent and a secular liberal alliance trailing in third place.
Ref: The Montreal Gazette
DonDiego says: "Farewell Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty! Adios Egyptian-support of US policies in the Mid-East!"
