My Clean Vote - by Atef Ahmed

I was walking in the streets of downtown in Cairo city, looking at the beautiful old buildings, and watching the sad faces of Egyptians who were waiting for a bus to get back home after a long day of work. I was one of them, standing at the bus stop, sad, frowning, and thinking of tomorrow and the future of my sons.

Suddenly, I saw three duck-roof buses, wrapped with many big ads about the Egyptian parliament elections, and carrying big loudspeakers which produce famous patriotic songs. Some persons on the duck-roof bus were dancing, trying to attract the attention of the bystanders downtown. The buses were moving very slowly in the streets, announcing the start of opening the theatrical curtain of the famous governmental play “The season of parliamentary elections in Egypt," and of course, all the theatrical actors, actress, and assistants were to play his/her role perfectly, and under the supervision and orders of the biggest director in the government!

I asked myself, am I really going to the election center this year, and cast my vote? – I am actually frustrated, disappointed, and full of extreme anger.

This next parliament is not mine - nor is it the parliament of my people, it is not the parliament of the poor people, the sick people, the illiterate people, the oppressed people. It is their parliament! - Their big wealth and corruption made it! Those candidates are the voice of the government! They speak by her name not our muffled voices.

Those people don't listen to my voice. They do not listen to the voice of Equity and Equality! They do not listen to the voices of hungry people. I always see them everywhere. And they do not listen to the voice of poverty, they invaded most houses in my country.

Do they not listen to the voices of the oppressed people in every house, in every street, in every village, in every city? What kind of social justice will those candidates bring to us? Will they be just statues in the next parliament? Look at their pictures on the buses! They don’t have ears! They don’t have a tongue! They don’t have eyes, because their human organs are owned by the government!

I am really confused with a lot of disturbing thoughts that hit my mind concerning the form of democracy in my country, and what I can do?
I am alone!
I am weak!
I am afraid!
I am poor!

Will my vote go to those who deserve it? I can't see anyone of those candidates as honest and deserving of my vote. Anyway, my vote will not go to those who dance and sing on the duck-roof buses. Anyway, their wealth, power, and authority will not be able to contaminate my vote, because my vote is not for purchasing! I will keep my vote in my mouth because my vote is clean, and will be clean forever!