Egypt's National Elections Authority said in a statement on Wednesday it will impose a 500 Egyptian pounds fine, as per law, on those who abstain from voting in the ongoing presidential elections. The authority said the implementation of the fine comes in accordance with a 2014 law that stipulates the imposition of a fine on those who abstain from voting in the presidential elections without an excuse. The NEA statement thanked citizens who turned out in the elections, and called on all citizens who have not yet voted to come out to the polls and practice their constructional right to express their free will. Incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to win in a landslide over his lesser-known rival, head of the Ghad Party Moussa Mostafa Moussa. If Sisi wins, he will serve his second and final four-year term as president, according to the constitution. The Egyptian Cabinet elections observation room said the NEA is the only authority entitled to announce the election results and voter turnout in the presidential elections. Around 59 million Egyptians are registered to vote in the NEA's database, officials have said. Voting began on Monday and ends on Wednesday. In the 2014 presidential elections, in which Sisi won 96 percent of the vote and beat leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, 24.5 million out of 54 million voters took part, or 47 percent. Source: Ahram Online
