Egypt, Elsewedy review progress on Ain Sokhna phosphate complex    US employment cost index 3.6% up in year to June 2025    Egypt welcomes Canada, Malta's decision to recognise Palestinian state    Pakistan says successfully concluded 'landmark trade deal' with US    Sterling set for sharpest monthly drop since 2022    Egypt, Brazil sign deal to boost pharmaceutical cooperation    Modon Holding posts AED 2.1bn net profit in H1 2025    Egypt's Electricity Ministry says new power cable for Giza area operational    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Italian defence minister discuss Gaza, security cooperation    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Nile dam with US senators    Aid airdrops intensify as famine deepens in Gaza amid mounting international criticism    Egypt exports first high-tech potato seeds to Uzbekistan after opening market    Health minister showcases AI's impact on healthcare at Huawei Cloud Summit    On anti-trafficking day, Egypt's PM calls fight a 'moral and humanitarian duty'    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi sends letter to Nigerian president affirming strategic ties    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Elections Monitor: Former prominent judge questions whether the Egyptian judiciary fears God
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 02 - 12 - 2010

"Can the public still say that Egypt's judges fear God?” asks former head of the Judges Club Mahmoud al-Khudairi in Thursday's issue of privately-owned Al-Shorouk. It is difficult, al-Khudairi responds, in an op-ed, to answer affirmatively.
Al-Khudairi points out the Egyptian judiciary has demonstrated scant resolve in resisting fraudulent activities since the beginning of the electoral process. Instead, they have turned a blind eye to violations and continue to unscrupulously oversee elections, despite 600 administrative justice court rulings that call for strong measures in the case of fraud, such as suspending elections.
Al-Khudairi argues in Al-Shorouk that it was clear from the beginning that the High Elections Commission was a sham, and that its president, Judge Abdul Aziz Omar, should have refused the post.
Unlike in 2005, judges' participation in the 2010 elections is mostly void of heroism, claims al-Khudairi in Al-Shorouk. Judges fought in 2005 to make elections a true representation of people's choices, he says. They demonstrated their worthiness of ordinary Egyptians' respect when, in spite of police intimidation and attack, they exposed a series of election violations. Action by prominent judges, such as Noha al-Zeina, led the ruling NDP government to cancel judicial monitoring.
Al-Khudari also notes that the only exception to this year's disappointing judicial oversight was the case of Judge Walid al-Shafei and his colleagues at a polling station in Badrasheen district. A police officer assigned to protect al-Shafei purportedly attacked him for exposing electoral fraud that included vote-rigging and restricted access to ballot boxes.
Al-Wafd, an opposition daily affiliated with the liberal Wafd Party, reports, in its Thursday's coverage, al-Shafei announced that he will not participate in upcoming elections, including Sunday's run-offs.
Badrasheen's chief investigator denied al-Shafei's allegations, reports Al-Shorouk. Al-Khudairi concludes by saluting al-Shafei and his colleagues for their struggle while calling on other judges to follow suit ahead of next Sunday's run-offs. Al-Khudairi also praises judges in the state council for ruling against electoral violations.
In related developments, Al-Shorouk reports that vice president of Ismailiya's appeals court Judge Ayman al-Wirdani, who oversaw elections in the city of Arish during last Sunday's poll, has announced that he will not continue to oversee election run-offs. In a memorandum to the president of the High Elections Commission, al-Wirdani notes that Judge Ibrahim Amin Abdul Magid informed him of grave violations in the polling station located at Abi Sakl Elementary School.
When al-Wirdani arrived at the scene, he found that security forces had prevented a large number of voters from entering the station. Al-Wirdani discovered that polling stations had been closed since 3PM and that a number of NDP members marked ballots for NDP candidates inside the school. Al-Wirdani adds that Abdul Magid asked him to return from the station and refrain from confronting security forces, and that he was surprised by the Elections Commission's decision to continue the counting process despite the violations.
A security source told Al-Shorouk, according to its coverage, that the decision to close polling stations constituted an attempt to protect voters' lives following clashes between candidates' supporters.
No Egyptians newspapers, state-run or independent, however, mention al-Wirdani's stated decision.
Meanwhile, administrative justice courts continue to issue bold rulings. The court of administrative justice, headed by Judge Kamal Al-Lami, issued a ruling to nullify elections in five electoral districts in Cairo and 6th October governorates, reports Al-Shorouk. One of the districts is that of Heliopolis/Nasr city, known as the “president's district.” The ruling comes in response to the failure to implement court rulings mandating Muslim Brotherhood candidate Essam al-Eryan appear on candidate lists.
In addition, the court of administrative justice issued a ruling permitting Egyptian civil society organizations to monitor the run-offs slated for next Sunday, including voting and counting processes, reports privately-owned al-Dostour. The court also ruled to halt implementation of a previous decision by the High Elections Commission that barred the Egyptian Organization for the Promotion of Social Participation from observing the 2010 elections.
Egypt's papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party
Youm7: Weekly, privately owned
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned


Clic here to read the story from its source.