Egypt is about to experience a first: its citizens will get the opportunity to go to the ballot box to select a new president in the country’s first-ever multi-candidate elections. Given our inexperience with such polls, Diabolic Digest has decided to go out on a limb and predict the outcome of the presidential race.

September 2005

The BBC spent millions on a high-tech sophisticated number-crunching state-of-the-art computer system to forecast New Labour’s narrow – if predictable – victory. To wow readers, we’ve also spared no expense in our bid to project the outcome in Egypt.

Following exhaustive analysis of the available data and evidence, we have arrived at the conclusion that the incumbent, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, will win a landslide victory to make him, as our resident political pandit put it: “Egypt’s first democratically elected dictator.”

Although one does not need an intimate knowledge of ancient scripture nor even astrology to forecast an overwhelming victory for Mubarak – who, as his name suggests, is blessed, while the rest of us are cursed to live with him until his death us do part – it is a lot more difficult to ascertain the exact complexion of the win.

Gone, it would appear, are the heady days when an Egyptian president could count on the people – or was that his people – to endorse him with an improbable majority in national referenda. Such national unity and unanimity at the ballot box is, unfortunately for Mubarak, a thing of the past.

In this special pre-election edition of Diabolic Digest, we present a number of diverse views and opinions on the elections and the state of Egyptian democracy. A young Egyptian student decides to put Egyptian democracy to the test. Carlos Tiny explores Mubarak’s vision for democracy. Khaled Diab asks what if the unexpected occurs at the ballot box. KM looks ahead to a surprise twist in Egyptian politics in 2008. And the delusional Haflatoun decides to head the Popular Apathy Party’s presidential campaign.

ã2005 K. Diab. Unless otherwise stated, all the content on this website is the copyright of Khaled Diab.