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CAIRO – Egyptians say they want their next leader to be honorable, smart,a knight, a man with a heart, a military man, a religious man, onewho goes down and meets with the people. What they are reallylooking for is a superman. Egypt's next president is facing an incredibly tall order ofproblems, from a tumbling economy and a beat-up security force todecrepit schools and hospitals that can't even provide enoughincubators for premature babies. Turning out in large numbers to vote for the first time in free andcompetitive presidential elections, a deeply engaged populationhave a lot of expectations from the leader that will replace thelongtime leader Hosni Mubarak, whom they ousted in a popularuprising last year. "We want a flawless president. We want him strong, just,respectable, clean, someone who feels for the poor. We basicallywant a superman," said Heba el-Sayed, a 42-year old teacher who wasasking her colleagues outside a polling station in the popularneighborhood of Sayeda Zeinab who they voted for. Egyptians have never had the chance to pick a leader. Mubarak, whowas often derisively labeled as "pharaoh" by Egyptians, came topower in 1981 after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat atthe hands of Islamic militants, mostly because he signed a peacetreaty with Israel. He was re-elected multiple time after that,mainly in yes-or-no referendums in which he was the only candidate. The pent-up anger that exploded against Mubarak's reign on January25, 2011 built up over years because of festering corruption, whichcreated a tight ruling clique around his family and cronies. Itleft a twisted economic development, that soared in terms ofeconomic development indicators, but was unevenly distributed— leaving vast sections of the population — up to 40percent — hovering near or fallen far below the poverty line. Denying services and attention to the poor seemed to be a way theMubarak's regime kept such classes in constant need of handouts anddependent on a patronage system, which doled out small benefits tothose who cooperated and stayed under his control. This left adebilitated public health and education system, where only thosewho can pay can receive better services. His authoritarian regime, which has maintained good relations withthe world, relied heavily on security agencies whose widespreadtorture and abuse were the immediate reason behind the uprising. The 18 days of protests that brought his fall were not limited tothe poor or the abused, they brought in a broad spectrum ofclasses, angered over every aspect of the stagnation and worriedthat it would only deepen if Mubarak's son, Gamal, succeeded him aswas widely expected. So in the voting that began Wednesday and continues Thursday, thehundreds of thousands who lined up at the polls had a litany ofdreams. Freedom to walk freely with girlfriends or boyfriendswithout police harassment. Improved sewage systems. Bettereducation. "I've lived under Gamal Abdel-Nasser, Anwar Sadat, and HosniMubarak," Mahmoud Ahmed, a 70-year old businessman, said, listingEgypt's last three presidents as he waited to vote in theimpoverished Cairo district of Basateen. "What we want to see is someone with the firmness of Nasser, thepolitical skills of Sadat," he said. "And nothing at all from Mubarak." He said he wants the next president's priority to hold a "real"trial for Mubarak — reflecting how many Egyptians dismiss thecurrent trial of the ousted leader as a sham. Mubarak has been on trial for months over charges of corruption andcomplicity in the killing of nearly 900 protesters during theuprising against him. As the proceedings have dragged, many havegrown skeptical that the trial organized under the military rulerswould constitute a fair trial. A verdict is expected on June 2before the name of a president is announced. For Yasmine Abdel-Rahman, a 22-year veiled student who was votingin the southern industrial district of Helwan, a religious leadercan bring justice. She was voting for the candidate of the MuslimBrotherhood, which was Mubarak's most organized opposition and hasseized its place as Egypt's most powerful political movement sincehis ouster. "First thing he must do is get back the rights of all the martyrs.Many mothers' hearts are broken," she said. Ali Ragab, a 27-year old who runs a photo shop in a rundownneighborhood of Maadi, agrees. But he thinks only a president thatcan rival the charisma and populist ideals of Nasser can do thejob. He's voting for Hamdeen Sabahi, a veteran opposition figure underMubarak who proclaims Nasser as his role model. Sabahi has recentlyrisen in polls, particularly among the working class and youngergenerations. "I want a leader like Nasser, who looks after the poor. I wishthose days come back," said the dreamy-eyed Ragab, born 15 yearsafter Nasser's death. "We need a leader that has extraordinary skills, one that has aheart, a big brain, and can play politics. He must be all that," hesaid as he helped other voters find their polling station. Zeinab Nabil, a 28-year old mother, lost two of her tripletsbecause of an unexplainable shortages of incubators in publichospitals. After their premature birth in September 2010, she ranfrom hospital to hospital for months trying to find incubators andproper care, only to be turned away. Now she is indebted to the banks for over $8,000 from the salary ofher husband, who works in another city. The only good luck she'shad is that her landlord dropped her rent by a third after therevolution because of her economic woes. "I want the president to spare other people my troubles. I want himto fix the hospitals and provide incubators," she said. "I want himto be just. I want him to walk among us. I want him to be human." None of the 13 candidates running in the first round is likely towin outright. So a run-off will be held between the top two on June16-17, with the victor announced June 21. The president's powers have not yet been defined. The militaryrulers, the Islamist-dominated parliament and various groups andpolitical parties of liberals and secularists have been locked in astruggle over how to write the constitution that will define theEgypt's political system, the role of religion and the place of themilitary in the future. The explosive mix of high expectations and a power struggle betweenpolitical factions will set the tone for the next president'sentire term, supposed to be for four years. The stormy transitionsince Mubarak's fall has piled on even more demands, with somewanting the ruling generals held accountable for mismanagement andviolence during the past 16 months. And the new president will face the constant threat of protestsfrom a politically charged population. "There is now an open court in Tahrir. No matter who is elected,"said Hamdi Abdel-Zaher, a 40 year old accountant, referring toTahrir Square, the epicenter of the anti-Mubarak uprising andmonths of protests since against the ruling military. Fares Kamel, a 42-year old trader in a village on the outskirts ofCairo, said despite the destruction of the image of a pharaoh amongEgyptians, many still yearn for it, seeing him as a savior. "They want to be led," Kamel said. He thinks the president must be"a knight, who has a sword and is not afraid to use it or to dieusing it. We want someone with dignity, and not a filthy rich man.We don't want a thief." "We want someone that loves this country, and satisfies people'sneeds. God be with him.". The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Serial Repeater Manufacturer , China Digital IO Controller, and more. For more , please visit USB Cable Converters today!
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