Expatriate Egyptians were able to vote in the parliamentary elections at embassies or consulates abroad or by post, writes Doaa El-Bey The high turnout was one of the features of the parliamentary elections, whether among voters inside or outside Egypt. For the first time, Egyptians abroad were able to vote, and the turnout reached 70 per cent of eligible voters in some countries, though there was also a low level of registration. Out of the more than seven million Egyptian expats, only 355,569 people registered on embassy websites to vote. Some 120,000 voted in the first phase of the elections, a quarter of them living in Saudi Arabia. Unconfirmed preliminary results showed that the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party had taken a sizeable portion of the votes of expatriate Egyptians, especially in Gulf Arab countries. Mohamed El-Meneisi, head of the Foreign Ministry's expatriate branch, which is presently being established, said that the low registration rates could be due to various factors, including the short period between the decision to allow expatriates to take part in the elections and the elections themselves. The registration period was also very short. Egyptian expats had also had to use national ID cards as proof of identity when voting, a decision that could have deprived Egyptians in the US, Canada and Australia, who cannot visit Egypt often, from participating in the elections, El-Meneisi said. "They could have used their national ID number rather than the ID card," he said, referring to the computerised birth certificate with a national number that is now issued to every Egyptian. However, El-Meneisi said that the experience had been positive on the whole and was a good first step. Amr Eid, a doctor living in Saudi Arabia, agreed that allowing Egyptian expats to vote was a positive step forward, adding that though registration had been short, procedures were straightforward. Yet, the elections themselves were short, he said, taking place on Thursday and Friday in Saudi Arabia, and there had been delays in votes sent by mail. By far the most challenging thing for Eid and others had been knowing whom to vote for. "I had to research the political parties and candidates and call my family for information and advice," he told the Weekly. "However, thousands of less-advantaged citizens are likely to be less computer-literate, and they may not have been able to do the same amount of research. Such people could have been influenced by Islamist or Salafist trends that are widespread in Saudi Arabia, or they may not have voted at all." "Most of us were very enthusiastic about taking part in shaping our country's future," Eid added. "Even when the courier fees for sending votes to the embassy were raised, nobody was reluctant to pay," he said. Egyptians in Saudi Arabia are considered the biggest expatriate voting bloc, according to estimates by the Supreme Elections Committee (SEC) that oversees the elections, with their numbers reaching 1.2 million. More than 142,000 people registered to vote in Saudi Arabia, and 20,000 took part in the first phase of voting. Safwat Ayoub, a retired diplomat who lives in Canada, said that it was better to begin expatriate participation in elections now, even though circumstances were not perfect, rather than wait until procedures could be implemented more smoothly. However, like many others, Ayoub believed that there was not enough preparation time. Registration in Canada was not easy, and many people had difficulty downloading the application, he said. He said the lack of information about the candidates and the need to vote with a national ID card, which many expatriates in Canada do not have, were hindrances to expatriate participation. There was also little incentive for them to participate, he said. "Expatriates in Canada asked the Egyptian government to sign an agreement with Canada to avoid double taxation, which would also encourage them to invest in Egypt. But this agreement has not been signed," Ayoub said. Were such agreements to be made, they would likely link expatriates more closely to Egypt, he added. There should be more preparation, better planning, more incentives for expatriates, and more coordination among ministries in Egypt in the next elections, he said. Voting by Egyptian expatriates started late last Wednesday and lasted until Sunday at midnight, a one-day extension having been given to allow voters more time. The voting took place after Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) changed the elections law to allow Egyptians abroad to cast their ballots at embassies or by post. Votes were sorted at the embassies where they were cast, or sent by mail to the SEC in Egypt, the latter declaring a preliminary result late today. All voters were required to register their names before the elections took place, and they were given a number in order to be able to vote. Registration was open from 10 to 19 November, though many expatriates complained that the registration website was either not available or was overloaded for much of the time. During the registration period, Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad provided expatriates with information about registration via e-mail, Facebook and mobile phones and by placing advertisements in media used by Egyptians. The decision to allow Egyptian expatriates to take part in the parliamentary elections came after an administrative court ruling in October that ordered the government to facilitate voting for Egyptian residents abroad. Last month, the SEC agreed to embassies and consulates abroad being used as polling stations. Allowing Egyptians abroad to vote in elections is one of the outcomes of the 25 January Revolution. Campaigners became more vocal when it became clear that the SCAF would not pursue the issue in the absence of a court ruling. "The fact that Egyptians abroad took part in the elections is very positive, and it confirms that being able to vote is a right and not a luxury," El-Meneisi said.
