The activity of politicians usually decreases in summer, as a result of the heat and of the exile of the rich, the elite and the powerful to beaches and resorts, in order to refresh the atmosphere, relieve the suffocation and get some entertainment. Yet the Holy Month of Ramadan falling in the middle of summer has made running away to the beach not the magical solution for such people, especially those of them who are concerned with domestic politics in Egypt, and specifically those who are kindling hopes of winning a seat in Parliament. Candidacy applications have not yet begun to be accepted in Egypt, but some simple-minded people imagine that the electoral process has already started, and that those who wish to run as candidates have entered the race to win the parliament seat, which would give them immunity from imprisonment or arrest, except when caught red-handed, from investigation by the attorney-general, except by permission from Parliament itself, or from their home or workplace being searched, except after having had their immunity lifted. The story is that state television and the government press referred to as “national” is these days very intensely covering the measures set by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) for selecting its candidates to the parliamentary elections. And regardless of the fact that these measures will in the end produce the candidates chosen in reality by party members, or of the fact that the candidacies will not depart from the wishes of the party's leadership and its major figures, who set its policies, steps and goals, it is noteworthy that state media is almost conveying the image to people that the matter has been settled in favor of NDP candidates, and that those who meet the party's approval and win the candidacy to wage the parliamentary elections would have thus ensured their seats and won them before the elections have even been held. Thus the media has mixed up internal elections within the National Party, to select candidates or disqualify them, and the parliamentary elections, which parties other than the NDP are also concerned with. The party had for some years adopted a new mentality, boasting of it politically and in the media – although in reality people have felt nothing of it that might save them from the low level of services, the high rates of unemployment, the worsening housing crisis, the collapse of standards of education and the deteriorating state of culture, which the ministry in charge of failed to safeguard Van Gogh's “Poppy Flowers” painting. On the whole, the new mentality has nothing to do with poppies or with Van Gogh, but people consider suggesting that the parliamentary elections have effectively started from the mere fact that the National Party is taking certain internal steps to carry negative indications about the nature of the coming elections and the circumstances under which they will be held. The party had relied on its popular base to elect candidates to the People's Assembly in electoral compounds, which is a traditional practice that regards the NDP and its members and no one else. But the picture now indicates that some confusion remains between the government and the state, and between ruling party members and the people as a whole. As for the parliamentary elections, which will be held on November 27 and not at any time before that, they will be taking place between candidates from numerous political parties, among them the ruling party, in addition to independent candidates, very many of whom will certainly be NDP members who have not been granted the honor of running on the party's list. As has become the custom, the latter will decide to wage the elections to compete against the NDP's candidates, and certainly some of them will win seats and later return to the National Party's umbrella, so as to enjoy its shade, benefit from its influence and save themselves a place under it with the big boys. Some say that the party has this time followed a plan in order to avoid what used to happen in past years, as it has placed the condition on those who wish to run as candidates for the parliamentary election on its lists to give the party power of attorney to move forward with the measures in their stead, this as a prerequisite for waging the elections within the electoral compound. They also say that the true purpose is for the NDP to withdraw and invalidate candidacy applications for the parliamentary elections if this or that member decides to run as candidate in the parliamentary elections after having lost in the party's internal elections. But those who think this way are forgetting the famous Egyptian rule which states that every measure taken can be breached, and that those who have laid down the rules are also able to lay down plans to undermine them. And if the National Party had in the past chosen the slogan “the National Party is in your interest” to address citizens, some still have the hope for the National Party not to be in its interest, i.e. in the interest of the party and not of citizens.
