CAIRO - Nicely and modestly dressed, Hamdeen Sabahi had to contradict his funny nature by sitting very seriously in front of this very large crowd of people. The Egyptian politician's eyes glittered with hope – presidential one – but kindness radiated from the same eyes that showed hope. "Egypt's economy can be strong in a matter of eight years,” Sabahi said. “Spreading social justice will be my top priority during these eight years,” he added. The 57-year-old leftist politician and presidency aspirant was talking about the eight years he hopes to stay in office. He and others seem to be burning with ambition to reach the top spot in this country almost three months after a popular uprising ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year presidency. But Sabahi, unlike all other presidential contestants, has a lot to say about social justice and the need to make citizens feel equal in a country that gives all types of citizens their full rights. After all, the lack of this social justice was one of Mubarak's fatal failures and people like Sabahi seem to be learning a lesson from this by underlining the concept every now and then in their public appearances. Here, at the Nile-side El-Sawy Cultural Centre in Cairo, Sabahi kept looking his audience – most of whom young people under 30 years of age and who sought to be more politically engaged, capitalising on the freedoms the January 25 revolution ushered – in the eye in order to convince them that he was the most ideal candidate. His competitors for the presidency are equally strong people, including prominent opposition activist Ayman Nour and ex-chief of the International Atomic Energy Watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei. Sabahi summarises his platform in three alluring words: freedom, justice, and independence. He puts the glittering tag “One of Us” on his platform in his bid to convince people that he is not one of the higher-ups who used to rule this country for decades. "I believe in every citizen's right to defend his/her bread and dignity,” Sabahi said. “We want this country to once more become a beacon of Islamism and Arabism,” he added. There was murmur and applause among the audience. Some of the seated admirers called him a fit leader, others expressed a high view of him. "I think his programme is perfect,” said Mayada Sharaf, a 27-year-old physical therapy specialist. “He does not pretend to know everything and this is why he might be the kind of person who enlists the help of real experts to frame his plan for improving things in Egypt,” she added. One of the things that might have provided Sabahi with all this allure is his stress on social justice, something Egyptians had missed for years under Mubarak and his team of economic planners who ushered in economic monopolies that beggared the majority here and even gave the rich a tough time. A Nasserite by affiliation and a socialist by thinking, Sabahi believes in the importance of the presence of a strong state that offers citizens with a buffer zone that protects them against the exploitation of traders and merchants. Even with this, he believes also in the importance of the presence of a strong private sector that brings about the required economic renaissance for Egypt. A brochure on which Sabahi printed his main policy lines says this private sector has to be led by a group of nationally-minded capitalists who should be given enough incentives. He also stresses the importance of supporting small and medium-scale enterprises, as well as creating the necessary legal framework for fighting corruption and economic monopoly. Some people in the audience travelled long distances from places as far as the Nile Delta Governorate of Kafr el-Sheikh, about 240 kilometres north of Cairo. Others came from the outskirts of the Egyptian capital to listen to the man who had recently travelled to Uganda as part of an unofficial delegation to the country to convince the government there against some Nile projects deemed harmful to Egypt. “He is really one of the people,” said Mohamed Nabil, a 24-year-old college student. “He understands the needs of the people and this is why I think he is a perfect candidate,” he added. “Perfect” was actually what Sabahi tried to be in this encounter, one of many that take him to every part in Egypt a few months before the presidential elections are held by the end of this year. He spoke in an organised manner and was keen to pay equal attention to all those who asked him questions. "I present myself as the candidate of the people,” Sabahi said. “If I become president, I will not be part of any political party in order to prevent a repeat of the monopoly Mubarak's party imposed on this country's political life.”
