"We" lost...?

I write this from my position as a spectator for the past 6 months, standing close to those who toiled away in these elections, trying to fight for the 'liberal' seats in parliament, as their ultimate goal.

As an employee of one of the somewhat biggest liberal parties now recognizable (at least by name if not anything else) in the country, and a close friend of a couple of those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the higher council of this party, I have seen and heard so much, that although I did not personally experience, I find myself responsible to share some it with other non-partisans.

My reason, primarily, is because I am tired with those who find it so easy to criticize and point fingers and place blame on the so called liberal forces who failed to prepare for elections as they sit there completely clueless of the intricacies of that world. Adding to that, those who actually are aware, are either too busy, too humble, or just don't care to explain.

This is not to say that there were no mistakes made, they are countless, but I'll leave that to those who know why and how they were made, I am just shedding light on the other stuff.

It starts with team building.

In post referendum Egypt, parties springing up rushed to get started; putting together a political program, a team of lawyers, a permanent work force, volunteers, media units, road maps, district deputies, and eventually, potential candidates. Let's put aside the funding issues for now, Egypt was never exactly a place that harbored politics and its politicians. Egyptians have never before underwent this level of political participation, and minus a few parties (hardly active or even heard of) no one knew how this is done.

This meant a sudden sky rocketing demand for a skill of which the supply was next to non-existent. Let's examine the market for a moment.

Politicians by profession: Those either already belonged to parties, such as El Wafd, El Ghad, El Tagamo', etc. or obviously, the NDP, whom were instantly branded as 'felool'... the stigma of modern-day-politically-virgin Egypt.

Politicians by study: Those basically studied politics, and it's safe to say, majority of them never put what they learnt to practice...and if any of you reading this are working in the same field you studied, you already know that those two worlds hardly have anything in common.

Politicians by experience: and those are the ones who pretty much did all the work. They either worked in parties or on elections in other politics-friendly countries, or from non-politically related jobs but knew the ins and outs, or at least slightly.

Now let's assume the political program was a collage of other programs and wasn't too hard to customize, the lawyers were plenty and managed their way through the procedures and the paperwork, the work force was in order, the volunteers were enthusiastic and ready, (I am being retrospectively ridiculously optimistic seeing as I just want to get to my point)  and the media unit was already blabbing on all media-outlets about the awesomeness of the party and gradually but inevitably sounding a lot like الحزب المنحل ... aka .. The National Democratic Party. What's next? A road map! Yes. Let's start planning ahead for what is to come after this referendum, for which we have about 5 months to prepare.

[imaginary map inserted]

Before we start dividing up seats per district...it is probably worth considering that by this point, no one had a clue about the electoral law. None of the campaign strategists knew which way it would swing...our beloved Media would jump at any indication that a law was final when it was far from it, and those in 'charge' of the country, it is safe to assume, were either just as clueless, or liked to see the rest of us confused. So, parties had to make do with what they already have, and started planning based on the old system, the way it always was..they put together an initial road map just in time for the media to start buzzing about a change to the electoral law. What is it? No one knows. But we know it's changed.

Ok... Let's start playing pin the tail and bump around blindly as we sit in big important meetings and invite foreign experts and pollsters to tell us which way this will probably go so we can start again.

No wait! They just leaked the electoral law! Another big meeting and more little ones and new maps and new numbers and a whole different strategy. . .

Nope, not it either, because just when we thought we had it together, the official law was released, and it had nothing to do with the one that was leaked earlier.

50/50? Panic on the dance floor.
Let's see, more meetings, threats, deals, negotiations, protests, forums and press conferences... more meetings, statements, and so on and so forth

70/30? 46 districts for lists and 166 individual seats, 83 of which for laborers and farmers.
Alright. Game on.

[Kandahar Friday and Egyptian Bloc inserted]

I think we have 2 months to go by now. 60 days to assign deputies to the different districts for them to start scanning the field for the potential candidates and prepare the electoral lists in the proper order that will not piss anyone off or get one of the deputies killed. Yes. Killed.

News flash: The muslim brotherhood is everywhere on the streets and doing all kinds of social work and everyone is bitter with the liberal parties because they are no where to be seen! Where are the liberal parties? They are in over their heads, because they are trying to filter out the felool while still being able to secure some sort of win...they are probably stuck in that big meeting where they are fighting over which candidate goes where. Those meetings went on long enough when it was just one party, let alone an initial 18 trying to agree on something. Not my story to tell...but...something to consider.

Then there is everything else going on in parallel...
All the protests,  the deaths, the arrests, the media mishaps, the SCAF pressers, the public backlashes, the internal struggles, the office fights, the panic, [the tweeted cartoons...]

Then there are all of the sleepless nights, the unbearable lack of support, the weight of the world on the shoulders of those who took the responsibility to get the liberals in parliament and were faced everyday with the reality that they might not be able to do it because everyday presents them with a new realization of just how unprepared they are in contrast to the islamic force.

Their social lives that were completely destroyed, their internal struggle between fighting for the revolution and for parliament, their lives endangered throughout the campaigns...

Their endless battle with incompetence, lack of experience, absence of knowledge, and poor preparation in the face of every new hurdle and bump along the road.

Yes they lost the elections, but only after giving up everything they had for it.
Some of them lost their political careers altogether, after making mistakes they couldn't afford.
Some of them lost their loved ones after having never had the time for them.
Some of them lost their status and public support.
and some lost their credibility.... the only thing they had.

So, before you speak on their behalf and say 'we' lost, and before you're quick to judge them and mock their failure as you call it, and before you rush to show them your disappointment with them, and before you lose your trust and faith in them, consider all that they've been through, the above of which amounts to nothing but a fraction of...and most importantly, remember, that these men and women had the courage to try...

I am honored to have worked even remotely next to some of them, and will forever be proud of them.
I am humbled that they fought for me and for all of us, a different kind of battle, but one that had to be fought nonetheless.

Thank you, is not enough.