Power struggle: Egyptian wife wantsdivorce over energy crisis

An Egyptian woman filed for divorce this week in the city of Giza,
citing her husband's reaction to recent power outages, local media
reported Tuesday.
Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm said thewoman was fed up with her
husband's refusal to leave their densely-populated home district,
which has been hit by recurrent electricity cuts.
In the divorce filing, the woman reportedly cited unsuitable living
conditions, saying the area was not only prone to outages, but has
also become home to ex-convicts and unlicensed street hawkers.
When she insisted the family move house, her husband physically
attacked her in front of her children, the paper said.
She also reportedly said her husband could in fact afford a new house.
The family court based in Giza,near Cairo, has yet to rule on the
divorce request.
Several districts in the Egyptian capital of Cairo have had daily
power cutslasting several hours, while further south in the
governorates of Assuit, Sohag, al-Wadi al-Gadid, Minya, Fayoum, and
Beni Suef, power cuts have been lasting entire days.
The government has blamed the power shortages on spiraling consumption
rates and high temperatures.
Earlier this month, President Mohammed Mursi sought to calm Egyptians,
saying, "I am sorry for the power cuts. I have the same problem athome
and I promise it willbe solved as soon as possible," assuring that new
generation plants will be launched later this year.
Still, power cuts have driven Egyptians across the country to stage a
series of protests, some ofwhich blocked railway lines and highways,
while a number of hydro towershave reportedly been destroyed by
looters seeking electricity.