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الثلاثاء, مايو 21, 2013
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Bani Idris village in Asyut boycotts parliamentary elections because of gas crisis
By Islam Radwan from Asyut - - 12 January 2012

 

"There is no gas or bread; therefore there is no parliament or Shura council," banners held by supervisors of the Bani Idris elections from the Qusiya District in Asyut say about the election process. At the heart of the protests is the escalating gas crisis in the village which has a voting bloc of approximately 4,600 voters.

 

Photography and captions by Islam Radwan
 
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Members of the people's committee of Bani Idris hung banners on entrances and exits of the village and primary schools urging people not to participate in the elections.
"We cut off access to the roads, received false promises and still there is no solution to the gas canister crisis," says Basem Abdel Razek Marzouq, 37, diploma recipient and one of the village residents about the gas canister crisis.
The people of the village carry empty gas canisters over their head to the village of Bani Hilal, but return with them empty as the warehouse refuses exchanging them, says Mostafa Ahmed Bahloul, 45, imam of the village mosque.
The people of the village gather in front of polling stations 494, 495, 496, and 497 which belong to Bani Idris' primary schools. They are carrying banners condemning the governor for lacking awareness of their village's needs and demanding a supply of gas.
Nadia Mohsen, 60, a ful beans seller of in the village, says: "I prepare the beans to sell them to the people. I prepare tea by burning the waste of Levantine corn through a due to the lack of gas in the village since 5 months."
Workers at the new sewage project in the village, prepare their tea with the waste of corn. Salah Hamed, 35, a worker, reveals, "We did not find a house in the village to prepare the tea, so we set fire to the corn residues to heat the water with it."
Ahmed Qurashi Abdel Hafiz, 18, holds in his arms a banner which says: "There is no gas, no bread, so there is no Parliament or Shura Council," in protest of the lack of gas canister supplies in the village.
Mohamed Abdel Shafi, 45, a member of the people's committee in the village of Bani Idris holds a banner criticising the governor, El Sayed El Borai's, lack of awareness of his village. The banner reads: "'Where is Bani Idris?' asks the governor. Thank you, oh dear governor!" The words on the banner are accompanied by an illustration of a gas canister. Abdel Shafi confirmed that he will not cast his vote until a set quota of gas is set for his village.
Delegates at polling stations put hands on cheeks as voting stations are empty of voters.