ANALYSIS: Ezz spat with opposition belies internal, external conflicts.

CAIRO: The spat that has ensued between Ahmed Ezz and political opposition after he criticized them indicates the level of political discourse in Egypt and the frustrations the opposition feels form the security enforced hegemony of the ruling party.

"There is an absence of proper, political discussion in Egypt grounded in policy. There is a personalization of power across the board as well as in the media," said Nabil Abdel-Fatah form Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, "They resort to vulgar political language full of accusations and it is always personal, it is never about policies."

Opposition leaders have reacted vehemently to criticism from National Democratic Party (NDP) Secretary of Organization Ezz during the party's internal elections, who described opposition criticism of the NDP as "low."

"There is a civil war in the NDP, and the reason behind it is Ahmed Ezz," Essam Sultan, a lawyer affiliated with the yet unlicensed Wasat party, told Daily News Egypt, pointing out that 140 NDP members in Aswan had resigned in protest over the elections process.AaAa

Ezz had said while in Aswan, "Opposition criticism is low. When I hear their talk that the NDP is away from the streets, I wonder, who then is close to the streets, especially as no other party has the presence of the NDP."

Karama party leader Saad Aboud told Daily News Egypt, "If the opposition is not in the street, it is because of the oppression of the regime. We cannot meet people because security forces do not allow us to."

The NDP has almost finished holding internal party elections for the party committees in Cairo and the governorates, but have delayed the announcement of results in some quarters, either due to troubles or suspicion in the results. In some cases, the minimum participation quota had not been met.

"As for Ezz's party there is not much credibility there," Aboud said, "he claims the NDP has three million members but he is unable to fulfill the voting quota for his party's internal elections which should not need more than 100,000."

Abdel-Fatah said, "The conflict within the NDP is about interests and those who are benefiting from the party because it has no social base. Additionally, it uses the government press to defend its prominent members and the businessmen who run the policies committees."

There has been strong competitiveness in the elections and accusations of forgery by some members of the party in the governorates. One such member, Mohamed Al-Amir, from Meit Ghamr, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that election fraud was rampant and that voting participation was only 10 percent.

Independent MP Gamal Zahran also criticized Ezz's comments to Al-Masry Al-Youm, saying, "How can the Secretary of Organization of the NDP say that other parties are not in the street, when his party owns everything in Egypt and has the monopoly on political life. Amidst the siege of security forces on other parties, the regime has done all it can to make opposition parties mere window dressing."AaAa

Abdel-Fatah said, "The most influential opposition party in Egypt is actually the Muslim Brotherhood, which isn't even an official party. Political parties, whether in power or not, represent a false political life."

Daily NewsEgypt 2009

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