ASWAN: Nubians remain unsure about the future of their decades-long struggle against forced immigration with fears that they will not be represented in the upcoming parliament.
Nubians had hoped to be allocated to their own constituency to guarantee representation which could boost their chance of being relocated to a better area.
But the parliament law dashed their hopes when Aswan governorate was dealt with as a single constituency and allocated six PA seats, four elected through the party lists system and two single-winner seats.
Nubian activist Ahmed Ragab told Daily News Egypt that the Nubian vote will primarily go to the Revolution Continues Alliances topped by a Nubian candidate, Abdallah Abdel Fattah, and the liberal Egyptian Bloc spearheaded by the Free Egyptians Party.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) does not enjoy support in Nuba despite the fact that they have fielded a Nubian candidate for one of the single-winner seats, Ragab said. He also noted the limited presence of the Salafi Al-Nour Party, which he speculated had garnered a small number of votes so far.
Last month, hundreds of angry Nubians protested in front of the Aswan governorate demanding the right of return to their land near Nasser Lake. There relocated during the construction of the High Dam in the 60s. They had damaged the main gate as they stormed the building and burned car tires in front of it before the military police and central security forces stepped in to disperse the sit-in.
"The Nubian protesters were demanded the right of return, and were even more angered when they discovered that Nuba was lumped with Kom Ombo and Edfu into one constituency, ending any hope for Nubian representation in the coming PA," spokesman of the Nubian Democratic Youth Union Yahia Zaied told DNE in a previous interview.
Cabinet and the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had promised earlier to make Nasr El-Nuba an independent constituency for Nubians.
"What further angered the protesters was the violent crackdown by military police and CSF on the sit-in, removing the tents and beating the protesters," Zaied added.
Nubian activist Hamada Mongy told DNE Thursday that the Nubian issue was exploited during the Mubarak regime both nationally and internationally when activists used it for publicity and personal gain.
"There were a lot of negotiations with SCAF and former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to solve the Nubian issue, but because the representative chosen by cabinet was not really representing Nubians, the issues were never resolved," Mongy said.
Veteran Nubian rights activists, like prominent writer Haggag Odoul who were smeared with espionage allegations under Mubarak, were marginalized during the negotiations, which disappointed many Nubians, Mongy said.
