Parliamentary-group 'sexting' scandal lands Egypt MP in hot water

Crises and scandals often go hand in hand. 

When times are tough, nerves get frayed, politicians fall under pressure, shady deals go down, mistakes are made, most go unnoticed, some see the light of day, spread across newspaper pages, laying bare the often corrupt inner workings of those in positions of power within society. 

Think Watergate, Iran-Contra to name a couple of examples of shameful, face-palm moments in American 20th Century politics. 

Egypt too is no stranger to political intrigue, from the ancient days of Anthony and Cleopatra, to more recent military coups, and even more recent off-the-cuff pledges by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to build enormous churches and mosques, become friends with Bashar al-Assad, and Donald Trump, and build an actual Stairway to Heaven with Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin (ok, that last one is not true ...).

Times are tough in Egypt at the moment, with a stagnant economy contributing to social discontent, and a fragile security situation in the country also providing cause for concern.

Given such realities, one might think it a good idea for the country's politicians to reign it in a bit, and ensure a tight-ship so as not to provoke further civil discontent.

But one Egyptian politician has really taken the biscuit.

When it comes to scandal and political intrigue "sending sex videos of another MP” to the Egyptian parliament’s Whatsapp group probably doesn't rate as one of the most overtly-intellectual or machiavellian plots of all time, just one of the strangest, most embarrasing. 

In his own defence Sharshar insists that the questionable videos were sent after his Whatsapp was hacked in order to “instigate conflicts with other MPs.”

At the time members of parliament expressed anger over Sharshar’s actions, and the MP could still face being expelled from Egypt’s parliament if two thirds of MPs deem such a punishment necessary. 

Whatever the ruling, and regardless of whether Sharshar is guilty or otherwise its probably not a story for the grandchildren.