PM Sharaf and a group of ministers visited Sinai yesterday and I would dare that this was the best we have celebrated Sinai liberation day ever.
The prime minister met in a conference the tribes’ chiefs and leaderships in Sinai along with activists like Mousad Abu Fagr. That conference was sponsored and prepared by the Egyptian army in South Sinai, the army seemed to be more obvious now in Sinai than before. “Of course with all the due respect to the Camp David accords , in fact I hope that the IDF respects the treaty as the Egyptian army does”
The citizens in Sinai told the ministers and PM their complains and requests in a way that reminded me how all Egyptians suffer for 30 years and nobody listened. Their demands were as simple as they can be , their demands were as old they can be :
- The land ownership rights.
- Developing Sinai especially the mid zone
- Boosting the financial status of Sinai through industrial and touristic projects.
- Providing job opportunities for the locals.
- Revamping the infrastructure.
- Railways
- The police treatment.
The ministers and the officials promised to work on these demands especially the land ownership rights. According to the minister of agriculture who sat and spoke with Nawara Negm the locals in Sinai will have the right to own the land on the condition they do not sell it. He also told her the Sinai development program has been approved. “I do not know if he is speaking about the North Sinai agricultural development program or that development program President Sadat and his government planned”
I will not be overestimating this meeting or conference when I consider it a very important step : The cabinet and the army recognize the rights of the locals in Sinai as Egyptian citizens. I will consider it as step not as milestone yet because with my all due I respect I will believe it when I see actions. I am skeptic despite I feel good in this particular file , the Sinai because of Sharaf and the army.I feel good when I see a woman like Sakina Fouad who spoke over and over about Sinai in that meeting and PM Sharaf saluting her , this brought a lot of hope to me.
Essam Sharaf as usually won the hearts and minds of the people in Sinai and outside it who followed the conference with his simple and sincere style. The man did not read pre-made speech , he spoke about points he wrote during the meeting and that’s it.
Sharaf apologized for the past treatment of the former regime and insisted that he does not approve on that image in the mainstream media about our people in Sinai. He promised that there will be either a council or a whole ministry dedicated to Sinai.
Sharaf ate with the tribes’ chiefs in a very significant move to build trust “eating bread and salt”.
Now we know that Mohamed Essam Sharaf is serving in the army like any other young man , of course some skeptics will claim that Mohamed is being pampered because of his father and that Sharaf is soft with the army because of his son !! I will fire back at those skeptics and tell them when was the last time we had an official in the size of Sharaf whose son did not skip the military service ?? Shall I have to remind them with Alaa and Gamal. I know some are annoyed by how the media is covering all the activities of Essam Sharaf from paying the traffic fine of his other son and from eating in a fol restaurant.. etc.
Well guess what for years we did not have this kind of human being prime ministers for decades so no wonder the media is heads over heals for Sharaf. In fact it is not only the media but many and many Egyptians to the level that now I meet people who believe he should run for presidency.
I think Dr.Sharaf makes me appeal for the parliamentary system more and more.
Happy Sinai Liberation Day :)