It is a universally accepted principle, enshrined in international conventions, that elections are the only legitimate means to reach and rotate power in a state. If electoral processes are to bear fruit in terms of enhancing and strengthening democracy, they must meet a number of criteria. Prime among these are guarantees for the integrity of the polls and for equal opportunity for rival contestants and parties, so that all parties accept and abide by the results. For this reason, Egypt, as embodied in the Presidential Election Commission (PEC) and its current political and legislative leadership, took pains to issue a presidential elections law that was consistent with international principles on transparency and good governance. This law governed the elections that took place almost a year after the Muslim Brotherhood was ousted from power and which has since been declared a terrorist organisation with most of its leaders now behind bars and facing hundreds of legal charges, and whose members were banned by court order from fielding themselves in the elections. Here, I would like to highlight the most important ramifications of these elections that were thoroughly transparent and clean, and which saw high turnouts of women, the elderly and the physically challenged while large segments of the youth sat them out. To begin with, the elections were conducted among 53,909,306 voters registered in 352 general committees, 11,091 electoral districts and 13,900 subsidiary polling stations in 27 governorates. Balloting took place over three days amidst heavy security measures that employed 432,000 security personnel among whom were 181,912 commissioned and non-commissioned army officers and conscripts. There was full judicial supervision, engaging the services of 15,397 judges from the various judicial bodies. The PEC also approved international monitors that included monitoring teams from the EU, the African Union, the Arab League, the Arab Parliament, COMESA and the US. According to the preliminary results, 318,033 Egyptians abroad voted. Of the 313,835 valid ballots, Field Marshal El-Sisi obtained 296,628 votes — or 94.5 per cent — and Sabbahi obtained 17,207 votes — or about 5.5 per cent. In Egypt, El-Sisi won by a landslide, with 23,264,306 votes, or 92.9 per cent of the votes cast, compared to the 734,300 votes for Sabbahi. With only 2.9 per cent, Sabbahi actually came in third after the number of invalidated ballots that were reported to amount to 1,022,772. The turnout was 25,021,378 or about 47 per cent of the electorate. Once again, Egyptian women symbolised the spirit of patriotic duty. Acute to their role as citizens and driven by their maternal concern for the future of the nation and its people, they heeded the national calling. Thus, they came out in huge numbers, in spite of the gruelling heat, to exercise their right to choose their president just as they had turned out at every major juncture from the 25 January Revolution through the 30 June Revolution. The massive participation of women in the recent elections was clear proof of their political, cultural and social consciousness and, specifically, of their awareness of the importance of the presidential elections as a second stage in the roadmap following the promulgation of the new constitution. The huge female voter turnout should inspire all decision-makers to think about how to capitalise on this potential and how to ensure that Egyptian women remain a vital and effective force in civic life. Above all, it is essential to put into practice to the fullest possible extent the provisions of Article 11 of the new constitution that stipulates: “The state is committed to the realisation of equality between women and men in all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.” The presidential polls also occasioned a large turnout of elderly and physically challenged, especially in the evenings when the temperatures began to drop. There were innumerable and memorable scenes of army or police personnel or young men and women from the Future of the Nation Campaign lending assistance to the elderly or handicapped persons without trying to influence their vote in any way. What is important in a phase that follows elections is that it translates into action the spirit of the phase that preceded it. The true test facing those who lead Egypt in the coming years is the extent to which they will fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the Egyptian people by bringing into being the type of government and state for which they waged two revolutions in two years against all forms of authoritarianism and dictatorship, and for the causes of freedom, justice and dignity. Politics and funding: Campaign spending and political expenditure is a cornerstone of any democratic process and electoral processes in particular. Funding electoral campaigns is a part of political funding, which is a broader concept that encompasses funding political parties that need sources of income in order to cover their expenses. Yet, as much as political parties in contemporary democracies need sources of finance in order to perform their basic activities, funding can also be the source of a number of problems. The abuse of public funds, purchasing votes, obtaining funds through illicit channels and other such illegalities undermine the principles of equality of opportunity, fairness and transparency that should govern the electoral process. It is little wonder, therefore, why this question is of central interest to those concerned with democratic development in the world and who realise the need for rules and criteria in order to prevent the abuse of money that could be detrimental to the democratic process. Funding that is not declared or subject to oversight poses a basic threat to the integrity of the polls because direct contributions to campaigns, along with other funding sources, are a form of political influence. In some countries, the more that moneyed interests are given a say through political funding mechanisms, the more this reduces the influence of those with limited income. In addition, campaign funding may be a means for organised crime to assert its influence and secure protection. Even in some established democracies, campaign-funding practices have begun to erode public confidence in democracy. Therefore, all countries need to produce laws and regulations that impose strict restrictions on political funding so as to safeguard the principles of equality, equal opportunity, transparency and oversight. The fairer the rules governing political funding the more this will encourage fair political competition. The efficacy with which these rules are applied and enforced is contingent on the nature and autonomy of the oversight mechanism. Generally, people have greater confidence in democracy in systems in which the principles of accountability and transparency are most stringently applied. With respect to the presidential elections in Egypt, LE600 million was allocated from the national budget to cover two polling days, but the figure increased to LE1 billion after the polling was extended for a third day. Among the items on the expenditure list of PEC was the cost of 182,000 guards, the per diems for 55,000 judges, and the public funding allocated for the campaign publicity and conventions of each candidate. In addition, the cost of the public holiday that was granted to government employees and public sector workers came to LE1.5 billion. As for the campaigns themselves, Field Marshal El-Sisi's official campaign spent less than LE20 million, which was the legal maximum for campaign expenditures. This was another indication of the commitment of PEC to enforce the relevant laws and regulations, which bodes well for the prospects of the rule of law. As for the Sabahi campaign, it spent LE200,600 on campaign publicity. Events in Egypt after the elections will impact on many developments in the Arab region and its broader environment, which is why the world will be contemplating the regional ramifications of the recent elections. The writer is a legal expert and political analyst.
