Presidential candidates turn to slogans in hopes of winning votes

Presidential campaigning kicked off on May 1 paving the way for a flurry of slogans, party promises and propaganda designed to convince the electorate whom to vote for on May 23 and 24.

Among the tens of thousands of posters, banners and fliers throughout Egypt one finds "We'll Make a Dream Come True", "Up for the Challenge", "Project of a Nation", or "One of Us" in addition to other slogans.

"One of Us" was perhaps the first to emerge as the slogan of leftist candidate, Hamdeen Sabbahy.

His campaign manager Moustafa Shouman says it isn't merely a slogan but a realistic description of where Sabbahy stands.

"We're not making anything up, Sabbahy is truly one of us," Shouman told The Caravan.

"His dreams and ambitions are every simple Egyptian's dreams," he added.

Shouman said Sabbahy is "one of us" as he "rides the metro, mingles with people on the street and is probably the most spontaneous politician Egypt has witnessed in its modern age."

Similarly simple and straight forward in colloquial Egyptian Arabic, Khaled Ali's slogan has set the tone for his campaign. A lawyer and an activist, and the youngest of the 13 candidates at 40, Ali's campaign slogan "We'll Make a Dream Come True" outlines what the candidate wishes to offer Egyptians - the realization of their dreams.

"The revolution's main dream is about social justice," said Mohamed Fawzy, Ali's campaign manager. "This is his top priority," he added.

On the other hand, Mohamed Selim Al Awa's campaign takes a different approach, with more structured nuances written in classical Arabic.

"Egypt's Destiny is to Become a Leader" say Al Awa's campaign posters and fliers. His campaign manager, Medhat Hassan, said Al Awa himself chose the slogan.

"It simply explains what Al Awa's platform is about," said Hassan. "We seek Egypt's leadership in the Arab and the Islamic region in the coming year. We believe Al Awa can and will achieve this," he told The Caravan.

But candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh preferred a domestic focus with "Project of a Nation", promising improved education and increased foreign investments.

On the other hand, Ahmed Shafik, former minister of civil aviation and briefly prime minister in February 2011, seeks to respond to those who accuse him of being a "man of the former regime" with his campaign slogan: "Egypt by Everyone and to Everyone".

While campaigners would think they are making the mission of choosing a candidate easier with these slogans, some voters disagree.

"They are just words to me," said Amira Samy, a housewife. "What difference do words make?" she asked.

Hany Wafa, a public sector employee, however, thinks the choice of the slogans makes all the difference.

"When a candidate chooses a slogan that reveals information about himself rather than his platform, it's a sign I shouldn't vote for him," Wafa said.

The variety of slogans throughout the country, on Facebook pages and in TV advertisements comes after years of Egyptians contending with just one slogan repeated by the state's media machine: The National Democratic Party: It's For Your Sake.