How cynical are Arabs about today's referendum in Egypt? The other day, al-Quds al-Arabi ran a piece explaining that the Mubarak regime had budgeted several million Egyptian Pounds to pay off voters, with the going rate being 30 EP a vote. Today, al-Arabiya reports that the price of a "yes" vote has increased to 40 EP... and, in at least one district, a dose of Viagra. Progress! A great success for Kifaya and the Muslim Brotherhood!
Should be an interesting day in Egypt.
Teehee...the universal currency of Viagra! It does seem to be an interesting day here. I passed sh. Abd el Khaleq Tharwat earlier this afternoon and there was a straggly regime-herded crowd in front of the state office building to the west of all the syndicates (more vans than people, it seemed), carrying signs, many in English ("Yes to Mubarak") and trying to make some noise. The black-clad cops with their riot shields lining the streets let a few of them march across to the syndicates to voice their oh-so-genuine anger at the traitors protesting the referendum. There was a decent Kefaya crowd on the steps of one of the syndicates, shouting slogans and holding signs and of course those cute yellow badges. Everyone had come down from their offices to the street to watch the drama. There were a few suit-clad mafiosi, er, regime types directing security on the street and not letting people or cars enter the street.
Posted by: SP | May 25, 2005 at 10:48 AM
fascinating... any and all eyewitness accounts would be very welcome!
Posted by: the aardvark | May 25, 2005 at 10:57 AM