Saudi Gazette recently interviewed a number of Egyptian nationals living in the Kingdom regarding elections for a new parliament in Egypt and their hopes, fears and expectations for the future. Here is what they had to say: Ayman Al-Khouli, Head of Marketing in Shuwairi Company, said the most important thing he wants the new parliament to do is to change the situation from what it was before the Jan. 25 revolution. “Millions of Egyptians aspire to get rid of negative phenomena like ‘wasta' and favoritism. Though I myself have used these methods to speed up my own transactions, I hope that these things will disappear as Egypt becomes a democracy.” Al-Khouli said that he hoped “a single party would not win a clear majority in the parliament which would qualify it to enact the laws and run the country's affairs without a say from the other parties.” Al-Khouli is not afraid of religious parties gaining support as this is a backlash from the old regime's media campaign vilifying the Muslim Brotherhood. “They used to liken them to the Taliban who would turn Egypt into another Afghanistan in which public freedoms would dwindle to the level of the Middle Ages.” Al-Khouli chose the Freedom and Justice Party because it promises that the next constitution will be drawn up by all segments of Egyptian society. “The Egyptian people have tried the rule of the now dissolved non-Islamic National Democratic Party and it proved to be corrupt and it did not realize the people's aspirations. Now there is no need to fear the rule of an Islamic party especially with their guarantee to hold elections every round without any falsification of the people's will.” For his part, construction worker Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad has different hopes from the upcoming Egyptian parliament. He wants it to focus on improving the economy and raising living standards so citizens are not forced to look for better opportunities abroad. “We're fed up with going abroad and looking for a living. We hope things will improve for the better in Egypt,” he said. “Many people have expressed fears about the rule of Islamist parties, but this is the people's will which should be respected. Democracy should continue its course,” he added. However, he criticized demands by some to form a constituent council in which all segments of society are represented to draw up the constitution. “What is the benefit of elections if the parliament will have no say in drawing up the constitution?” he questioned. Meanwhile, pharmacist Nader Fuad expressed doubt about the possibility of the imposition of a particular lifestyle by the ruling political authority whether Islamic or liberal. He attributed this to Egypt being a multicultural country since olden times, adding that no authority can restrict public freedoms. “I focused on the candidate's election program in choosing a candidate. I did not care about the candidate's partisan or religious background.” Anas Shareef, a student, expressed his happiness at participating in the elections and said that voter turnout was distinctive. He described the organization of the election as “magnificent”. However, he said statements by the Military Council darkened the atmosphere. “These aroused many Egyptians' fears that the council intends to decrease the powers of the new parliament.” He was referring to the statement by Maj. Gen. Al-Mulla who stressed that the Military Council would have the upper hand in drawing up the new constitution. Wissal Muhammad, a female journalist, insists that the biggest losers are the revolutionary youths who kindled the first spark of the revolution and toppled the previous regime. “They have been excluded in the interests of the political parties by the Military Council, which managed the political game skillfully and gave itself the lion's share of power in ruling the country.” Siba Allam, a 23-year-old woman from Cairo, said: “It's a new transition for the Egyptian people to feel their freedom. It begins with parliamentary election, considered as the first step before the presidential election that might change the unstable situation in Egypt.” Layaal Mahdi, a 60-year-old woman, expressed her preference to vote for ‘Wafd', which is considered the oldest political group in Egypt and which aims at keeping the country democratic and one not ruled by Islamic law. “Many Egyptians are not happy with the Muslim Brotherhood group which follows a strict interpretation of Islam,” she said. Marwa Asa'ad, a 33-year-old woman from Alexandria, said: “The first two voting phases in the parliament election have shown great success because many Egyptians are hoping that the new parliament will end the difficult era that the country went through as well as the military rule.”
