Human Rights organizations called on Egyptian political parties and movements to end electoral violence and low voter turnout prior to run-off elections slated for Sunday. They also called on the High Elections Commission (HEC) to confront violations that occurred during ballot sorting processes, enforce laws protecting political rights, restore voter confidence, and effectively monitor the remainder of the electoral process. Observers Without Borders, which comprises 45 provincial NGOs such as the New World for Development and Human Rights, listed six reasons for low voter turnout during Sunday's parliamentary elections. The first reason included a lack of voter confidence in the credibility of the political process and doubts that election results would represent voters' choices. The second reason constituted a lack of voter confidence in the credibility of the HEC's decisions and its failure to implement the rulings of administrative courts. The third reason included cumbersome security restrictions at polling stations where Muslim Brotherhood candidates competed. Such treatment contrasted with lighter restrictions imposed at polling stations where the ruling National Democratic Party or independent candidates competed. The fourth reason was that opposition parties fielded candidates with low popularity. Additionally, the report accused opposition parties of making mistakes by choosing candidates with questionable reputations. The fifth reason was the proliferation of violence, the prevention of voter access to polling stations, the refusal to allow candidate representatives to attend voting and ballot sorting processes, and problems regarding powers of attorney authorizations. The final reason comprised inaccuracies and repeated errors found in lists of eligible voters. The report estimated voter turnout between 8 and 12 percent in urban areas of major cities with a 2 to 4 percent increase in voter turnout in low income areas. In Upper Egypt and the Delta region, voter turnout reached between 30 and 40 percent, a disparity attributed to tribal relations. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
