Reporter's Notebook Comments

• Generally, it's a good work. The notebook reflects the presence of the corruption in the Egyptian daily life. But there some things to notice:

  The notebook ignores the history of corruption which was born – as a common phenomenon – in the era of President Sadat, who adopted strange economic policies and called this "an economic openness."

  The absence of democracy and its accountability mechanisms is another reason neglected by the notebook.

  The notebook didn't mention anything about the indictments of corruption of the presidential family. Allegedly, Mr. Gamal Mubarak – son of the President – had bought through an international bank from some foreign countries the debts which hadn't been paid by Egypt to them. Suddenly, according to allegations, these debts had been paid after this deal according to a presidential decree.

• I think it is very satisfactory. There is no factual errors.

  The presentation for the street-level corruption was very will examined, however, the grand corruption needed some more examples for many of the flagrant cases that are spread all over the political/economical apparatuses in Egypt. For example, the emergence of new businessmen elite in the National Democratic Party and their alliance with the government. (i,e, their unlimited funding for Mubarak's electoral campaign)

  The writer was fairly neutral and objective in presenting his/her views.