Egypt that we don’t know the reason FJP will win

Despite my internal resistance to curiosity ever sense it almost got me I deep trouble on Jan 26^th, I couldn’t stand against trying to visit polling stations today. I actually drove aimlessly in Cairo trying to find a polling station and ended up in Sahel after getting stuck in traffic in Ahmed Helmy tunnel in Ramsis. Driving along Ahmed Helmy street next to the train I came across a school that was almost empty, the polling station just had army soldiers at the door and nothing more interesting. Also observed a huge dump of garbage lying along the road and narrowing the street as we driving, and it hit me why people can accuse the revolution for this uncalled for change.

I finally made it to the schools district in Sahel, parked and started to walk. The first school was pretty calm, and the crowds were limited. There was a car driving along campaigning for one of the candidates, and irregularity that was against the rules of the elections. I continued to walk with a friend and came across a small table setup a minute or so away from the school where people were writing the name of a candidate on pieces of paper and handing them out to cars and people walking by. Again something that was supposed to be against the rules. I tried to take a photo from afar and then continued along to other schools in the district. There were people handing out fliers for FJP next to the entrance of the technical high school close enough to the gate for the soldiers watching over to notice. Actually bumped into one of them and one was reluctant to hand me a copy, but eventually did. The lines were a little longer but still manageable by far. As I continued to walk along, there was a “voter assistance desk” set up by the FJP to direct citizens to their polling station and it didn’t harm to write it down on a paper that had the candidates of the party listed. At the next entrance and again members of the FJP and Alnour party were there handing out material to voters. The next school had longer lines that looked more like what was being voiced in the media about the public interest in the elections. Flyers from a lot of parties and candidates we littering the sidewalks, again something against the rules of the elections and no one was doing anything about.

After spending about an hour I decided to head back to the office and tried to use my navigation skills to find the way back. I have to admit that it didn’t work and found myself in Shoubrah ELkhemah in Kalioubya, which was not entertaining elections on the day, so the schools were empty and quite. However I found myself in places that were really different then Mohandseen and Zamalek. The sight of the place and the people who are struggling in their daily life were a sharp contrast to the young liberals holding ground at the Prime Minister’s office. The people there seemed totally out of touch with the realities in Egypt. Even to someone like me, who claims to be able to relate to these sights and people I had the feeling that my world was far apart from what I was seeing. People struggling to find their place in a world that was difficult and frustrating to handle. People seemed to be struggling to find their daily portions and needs.

At that point in time it hit me that the FJP would probably be victorious at the end of the elections. Why would someone with so much trouble in their daily lives vote for anyone other than those who would help them immediately, even practically help them before the day of election. Food and basic needs are far more important than the theoretical ideologies being voiced by the people of other social classes. The only way out for these people is those who help them in their needs and provide parallel systems that can satisfy them. The people in Tahrir are totally detached and have no way to relate to this world. Building bridges on ideologies seems to be an impossible mission, and sitting away from the real Egypt would not help.

I tried to make it back to Mohandseen, and ended up being mixed upin all directions and disoriented. I long have claimed that I had a good sense of direction, but eventually had to depend on Google to get me back home. As I drove back the only thing that stuck on the day that the bubble that the liberals are living in will only make them shocked to hear that unfortunately the FJP will end up as a winner.