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Hamdeen Sabahi the 57 year old former member of parliament and leader of the Dignity Party finished third place with 21.5% of the vote. As the opposition leader, Sabahi was jailed for political dissidence 17 times during the Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak presidencies. Sabahi has been profiled by Evan Hill in an article on Aljazeera, where he states “Sabahi’s campaign has reflected his likable persona. He is the only major candidate whose posters show him smiling, and his slogan, “one of us,” reflects a more populist appeal than the vagueness of the Brotherhood’s “renaissance is the will of the people” or the sternness of Moussa’s “Egypt needs the work of every Egyptian” or Shafiq’s “deeds, not words”. He has received broad support from Egypt’s journalism and media communities – his headquarters is housed in the office of popular director Khaled Youssef – and his campaign claims that it has run haphazardly on a shoestring, with donors buying billboard and newspaper ad space where they can. …Yet by the first day of voting on May 23, Sabahi had ascended into the national debate. From taxi drivers to pensioners to well-educated consultants, his emphasis on justice and the poor had resounded.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/bk6FM image source Egyptian Society ow.ly/bk6Dx

Robert James “Bob” Brown the 67 year old Australian senator and Parliamentary leader of the Australia Greens has announced he will be stepping down from parliament in June (2012). Brown had led the Australian Greens from the party’s foundation in 1992 until now handing over the leadership to his deputy Christine Milne, a period in which polls grew to around 10% at state and 14%at Federal. Brown’s Greens party has championed the rights in Australia of asylum seekers and been an advocate for the self-determination of countries such as East Timor and West Papua. From 2002 to 2004 when minor parties held the balance of power in the Senate, Brown became a well-recognised politician. With a historic result in the 2010 election, the Green’s again hold the balance of power in the Senate, giving his party more than 1.6 million votes with nine senators elected. The scale of his win enabled him to seal a deal with Prime Minister Julia Gillard allowing her to form Government after the cliff hanger election. Brown intends spending his retirement bushwalking and writing, living in Hobart with his fellow activist partner and farmer Paul Thomas. Brown was the first openly gay member of the Australian Parliament and to lead an Australian political party.

 

Inspired Ben Eltham http://ow.ly/anzsR by image source Australian Greens http://ow.ly/anzRZ

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