The release of the results of the expatriate vote in the presidential poll is stirring controversy, reports Doaa El-Bey Although the final results of the expatriate vote were not officially declared, the controversy over declaring them before the start of the first round of local elections was raised this week. Responding to complaints filed by Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh and Khaled Ali's campaign representatives, the Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) on Monday decided to delay the announcement of the election results from expatriates living in Saudi Arabia. Both candidates claim their supporters were obstructed from voting. Mohamed Mursi's campaign representatives have objected to the delay. PEC Secretary-General Hatem Bagato said during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry late on Monday that the final results would not be announced until allegations of irregularities had been investigated. The PEC called on the Foreign Ministry to hand over any relevant documents as soon as possible. Though final results of the first round are expected to be announced by 29 May, controversy continues over whether they should be revealed ahead of local results. Foreign Ministry spokesman Amr Rushdi says that the planned schedule is in line with PEC directives which classify embassies and consulates as sub voting stations. As such they are required to hand over vote count results to candidates' representatives. But are the votes of expatriates likely to sway local results? Not according to Selim, a taxi driver, who insists few Egyptians are following the ins and outs of how their compatriots abroad have voted. Dalia Amin, who works for a multinational company, believes pre-announcing expatriate vote results would have at best a minor impact at home. "I wanted to vote for Hamdeen Sabahi, but was not sure I would. The expatriate vote count has convinced me that he has a chance," she told Al-Ahram Weekly. Computer engineer Ahmed Fahmi believes the results are likely to influence undecided voters most. "I know people who decided to vote for Mursi or Abul-Fotouh because they came first and second in the expatriate vote," he says. Some opinion polls show as many as 37 per cent of Egyptians are undecided about which who they want to see as their next president. Reports have placed the Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi ahead of his competitors among expatriates, thanks largely to massive support from Egyptians in Saudi Arabia. Figures released by embassies and consulates, which have yet to be authenticated by the PEC, show Mursi first with 106,252 votes, or 49 per cent of the total, followed by Abul-Fotouh with 77,499 votes. Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabahi came third with 44,727 votes. Amr Moussa was fourth, slightly ahead of Ahmed Shafik. Saudi-based Egyptians were massively in favour of Mursi. He received 68,443 votes, well ahead of Abul-Fotouh with 36,480 votes. Sabahi came third with 15,292 votes. In Kuwait, home to another large expatriate community, 17,149 supported Mursi, 14,109 Abul-Fotouh while Sabahi came in third with 9,031. Europe produced more varied results. In France Sabahi topped the polls, followed by Shafik, while in the UK Abul-Fotouh beat Sabahi into second place. Almost 587,000 expatriate Egyptians registered to vote, though only 300,000 cast ballots. Though analysts may differ about the significance of the expatriate vote count, it does appear to confirm a long held consensus on who the frontrunners are. The right of Egyptian expats to vote was conformed in April last year when the government announced they should be allowed to vote in presidential elections and public referendums at embassies and consulates. A month later the ruling military council passed a law regulating expat voting in parliamentary and presidential elections and in national referendums.
