Sunday, October 25, 2020
State Succeeds in Managing Ballot & Practices of Some Candidates are Against the Law
Egyptian coalition issues preliminary report to follow up on first round of first phase of 2020 parliamentary elections
The voting process was in accordance with the criteria of free and fair elections and Egyptian security succeeded in resolving all problems before they happened
Bribes and altercations of candidates’ delegates in front of polling stations highlight the negatives
The Parliamentary Elections observers of the Egyptian Coalition for Rights and Development followed the first phase of the parliamentary elections in its first round, in accordance with a carefully drawn up action plan, in a number of governorates where our followers visited a large number of the total number of polling stations during the two days of voting.
During the two polling days, the Parliamentary Election Observers published nine statements addressing the electoral process and the most important observations monitored, as well as the publication of instant-by-day statements on the observers’ page, and during the polling days the observers provided a number of complaints to the National Electoral Commission accompanied by photographs and videos.
According to the monitoring team over the two days, the voting process was largely in line with the criteria for free and fair elections, as nothing was monitored that would have a fundamental negative impact on the conduct of the voting process, and no systematic fraud was monitored, as well as the apparent neutrality of the state apparatus during the voting process, the neutrality of the vast majority of judges and the heads of polling stations, as well as the neutrality of the vast majority of auxiliary staff.
At the level of turnout, the early hours of voting on the first day and the last hours on the second day was the largest, which also saw multiple cases of payment of electoral bribes hours before the closing of the voting.
The voting process was also smooth and fast, especially as the parties participating in the ballot had set up computers near the polling stations to guide voters, and while the heavy participation of women and the elderly was the majority in all provinces, there was a marked absence of young people.
The Parliamentary Elections observers of the Egyptian Coalition for Rights and Development also monitored the security measures, which witnessed remarkable development, and our observers noted the keenness of the security forces to maintain the safety of citizens, the conduct of the electoral process and not to interfere in the conduct of voting, which appeared in the intervention of the security forces to resolve all skirmishes and altercations that took place in front of the committees, and not to allow these altercations to affect the conduct of the process, as the insurance forces showed cooperation with the followers of the alliance, as well as altercations Limited between some recruits and some voters or delegates of candidates as a result of doing actions that will influence the voting process and note that the officers quickly resolved the situation and solved all problems before they developed.
The Coalition’s Parliamentary Election observers monitored the performance of the National Electoral Commission, which was good during the voting period, and that the overall situation is very good and satisfactory in the atmosphere in which the electoral process is taking place, and the problems facing the Commission remain logistical problems related to the transfer of judges, which has delayed some of the judiciary in reaching the polling stations for periods ranging from half an hour to the hour, and delayed the return of voters and staff to polling stations after the end of the Midday break.
In general, the handling of the electoral process by judges and staff was very good, with limited exceptions: some staff members directed some voters or refrained from assisting some of those in need ofassistance.
At 9 p.m. just before the report was prepared, the coalition concluded field observation of the voting process in the first phase of the electoral process.
The vast majority of the stations closed at 9 p.m., while the voting process in a limited number of stations lasted for 15 to 30 minutes, and the last hours saw candidates in most governorates drive cars in the streets urging people to go to polling stations to vote before closing the ballots and some said that those who did not go to vote will pay a fine of 500 pounds when any dealing with the civil register or any government dealings.
At the level of turnout, the last hours of the voting process witnessed a marked increase in turnout, especially in Giza governorate, and in contrast there was also a marked increase in irregularities committed by candidates, especially those related to advertising violations, the purchase of votes and clashes between supporters of the candidates, especially during the presentation of electoral bribes, which varied between (distribution of meat – cash – grocery bonnets) in order to guide voters to vote for a particular candidate – it is noteworthy that the coalition provided the National Electoral Commission with these irregularities supported by pictures and some of them Documented by video to verify what it, and open an investigation by the Commission into these facts.
One of the main drawbacks of the electoral process was the continuation of propaganda operations and directing voters in front of the committees, where observers of the Egyptian Coalition for Human Rights and Development monitored the continuation of electoral propaganda in front of some committees in violation of the decisions of the National Electoral Commission, which was mentioned in the statements issued over the two days.
