Thursday, October 30, 2008

EGYPT: Ruling Party in Free Fall


By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani

"CAIRO, Oct 29 (IPS) - A high-ranking member of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) is facing trial on charges of arranging the murder of a Lebanese pop singer. The case, along with a host of other public grievances, has badly tarnished the NDP's reputation ahead of an upcoming party conference.

"On the eve of its annual party congress, popular perceptions of the NDP have never been worse," Amr Hashem Rabie, expert on Egyptian party politics at the semi-official Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies told IPS.

On Oct. 18, construction magnate Hisham Talaat Moustafa, a member of the NDP's powerful Policies Committee, pleaded not guilty to accusations that he financed the killing of Lebanese pop singer Suzanne Tamim, found brutally murdered in her Dubai apartment three months ago. Fellow defendant Mohsen Al-Sukkary -- a former police officer charged with carrying out the crime in return for a two-million dollar payoff -- also pleaded not guilty......"

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