Press and Media Department
First: Political Headlines:
- One death as violence mars second round of polls
- Rafah crossing to reopen Fri – Mofaz
- Saudi Crown Prince wraps up Egypt visit
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- One death as violence mars second round of polls
Widespread violence marred the second round of the country’s three-stage parliamentary vote.
According to a Ministry of Interior report, one voter was shot and killed in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria.
Scores of voters and campaign workers were reportedly injured in clashes during the polls contested by 1,788 candidates for 144 of 444 seats in parliament.
“More than 14 rioters were arrested after violent incidents between supporters of rival candidates chanting Islamic slogans,” the Ministry of Interior said in a statement released yesterday.
Several police officers and members of the public were hurt in the incidents, the statement said, adding that supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate in Damanhour, Beheira, Gamal Hishmat sparked off rioting at 10 polling stations.
There was fierce competition between Hishmat and NDP candidate Mustafa el-Fiqqi, a member of the outgoing legislature.
In other incidents in the Nile Delta province, supporter of Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Abdel Wahab Attia el-Deeb threw stones at police at police after they asked for the removal of a tent erected in front of a polling station.
Security forces arrested more than eight members of the banned group on charges of assaulting police officers and threatening behaviour, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.
The ministry said the police continued their mission to secure the voting process and polling stations with utter commitment to neutrality.
In Alexandria, a supporter of an independent candidate was shot dead at a polling station downtown. Mohamed Khalil died of a bullet wound in the chest, the ministry statement said, adding that several others were injured in the shooting.
“Security forces are hunting for the gunmen,” the statement read.
Vandals set fire to 20 cars in the constituency, the Egyptian Television quoted a witness as saying.
In the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, witnesses said a supporter of one of the candidates was shot and wounded at el-Shuhda polling station, Egyptian TV reported.
Constituencies of Al-Gharbiya, Port Said and Qena were scenes of violence, which security forces later brought under control.
Yesterday’s violence was in sharp contrast to the first round of voting Nov. 9, which saw the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) gain an 80 per cent majority, while candidates associated with the banned Brotherhood won 34 seats.
In yesterday’s vote, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) fielded 144 candidates and opposition parties had 81 candidates. The number of Muslim Brotherhood candidates was 52. Some 1,429 candidates ran as independents.
- Rafah crossing to reopen Fri – Mofaz
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said yesterday that eh Rafah border crossing would re-open Friday according to temporary arrangements.
Still the possibility of attacks on Israel is relatively big, Mofaz was quoted by Radio Israel as saying after a weekly Cabinet meeting.
- Saudi Crown Prince wraps up Egypt visit
Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz yesterday wrapped up his visit to Egypt, during which he held talks with President Hosni Mubarak.
The Mubarak-Sultan talks covered the overall Arab scene, including the situations in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Sudan, and the occupied Arab territories, as well as bilateral ties and means of increasing Saudi investment in Egypt.
Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and several Cabinet ministers were present at the departure of the Saudi Crown Prince and his delegation from Cairo International Airport.
Second: Economic and Local Headlines:
- Mrs. Mubarak stresses the language of peace
- Conf. discusses WTO negotiations
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- Mrs. Mubarak stresses the language of peace
The younger generation in Egypt comprise a large percentage of the population, which means they have a big influence on society.
"If we provide them with the appropriate environment, education and skills, we can turn them into heroes of peace for the future", said Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak.
She also stressed the importance of planning a better future for young people, stressing the 'language of peace'.
Egypt's First Lady was speaking at a seminar on the role of non-governmental organisations in promoting peace, held at Manasterly Palace in Cairo yesterday.
At the seminar, organised by Mrs. Mubarak for the International Movement for Peace, she stated that the Peace Studies Institute will open early next year. The institute, the first of its kind, will be housed in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
The First Lady also stressed that women have a place to play in peace negotiations, stressing the role of the First World Alliance for Women Advocating Peace.
Women must get involved in every effort to promote peace, while trying to put an end to violence against and trafficking in women and children.
Mrs. Mubarak mentioned that a roundtable will be organised in Athens in collaboration with businessmen under the slogan 'Preventing People Trafficking'.
- Conf. discusses WTO negotiations
'Egypt's Trade Liberalisation Commitments, Benefits and Costs' within the framework of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) current negotiations was the main theme of a large gathering that opened in Cairo yesterday.
Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry in co-operation with USAID, Egypt and the European Union (EU), the two-day gathering addresses the Doha Development Agenda, with negotiations on the agricultural file, services and intellectual property rights.
Addressing the opening session on the first day, the head of the Central Department for the WTO at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry, Waleed el-Nozahi, said that the conference is important since it addresses an essential aspect of the WTO negotiations, namely what countries can gain or lose within the framework of these negotiations.
"There were 148 WTO member states, until Saudi Arabia recently joined. It is very difficult for a single country to impose its opinion on the rest. So there have to be some gains and losses," he added.
El-Nozahi raised questions about Egypt's negotiations status and what the country can gain or lose in terms of the WTO's Sixth Ministerial Conference, to be held in Hong Kong from 13th to 18th December.
He said that the most important issue for the Doha Development Agenda (Doha Round of WTO Negotiations) which started in 2001 is agriculture.
"Agriculture is very sensitive for the developed countries such as the US and those in the European Union and just as significant for the developing countries.... Negotiations have taken a long time and yet we still don't have any negotiation models or rather results."
Since no single country is able to impose its views on dozens of fellow member states, Egypt is looking for co-ordination at the Arab and African levels in order to agree on a unified stance at the Hong Kong negotiations.
El-Nozahi said that Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry Rashid Mohammed Rashid is leading a delegation to a three-day ministerial meeting in Tanzania, at which the African countries will sign a ministerial declaration on Africa's 'interests and fears'.
At the Arab level, Beirut will host a similar Arab co-ordination conference by the end of the month.
Bernard Hoekman, Senior Adviser in the World Bank's Development Research Group, addressed the first session on the opportunities for economic growth and development through trade liberalisation according to the Doha Development Agenda.
The session was attended by Georgois Tsitsopouulos, counsellor and head of operations for the European Commission delegation, who reviewed the relations between Egypt and the EU.
He referred to the reforms that have been carried out to improve the investment climate, such as the customs and tax reforms.
Tsitsopouulos noted that, as long as Egypt proceeds with such reforms, more co-operation with the EU can be expected.
Mary Catherine Ott, the Deputy Mission Director for the USAID in Egypt, talked to the conference about Egyptian-US bilateral ties, voicing her country's support for the efforts to enhance development and projects in Egypt.
Director
Press & Media Dept.
Ambassador
Gillane Allam