Cairo: Confusion and misinformation mar the eve of Egypt's Parliamentary elections. One police station says voting lists have changed while another insists they haven't, new polling stations with unknown constituencies appear, and campaign banners mysteriously dissapear. Less than 24 hours before elections authorities at Qasr el-Nil police station, located in a strategic downtown district, informed independent candidate Gameela Ismail that the voting lists for Qasr el-Nil had changed. The change would have invalidated many of the documents Ismail was trying to submit, authorizing individuals to represent her at polling stations on Election Day. Representatives are permitted to remain inside polling stations and watch the ballot boxes. However, representatives may only observe in the polling station to which they are assigned to vote. A last-minute rearrangement of voting lists would have necessitated finding new representatives for Ismail and other candidates. Additionally, Ismail was informed by the policewoman checking the documents that it would be impossible to obtain a copy of the new lists by 5pm, the deadline for turning in the paperwork. “How can I communicate with people quickly to find new representatives?” Ismail asked, frustrated with the situation. Ismail had threatened to withdraw her candidacy if the issue was not resolved before five pm. “I will not run if there is no judiciary oversight and no representatives watching the boxes,” she said. “How can we know the vote is fair if only the NDP has representatives watching the boxes?” When Ismail arrived at another police station in the Qasr el-Nil district, she was informed that there was no problem, the voting lists had not been changed. The confusion is typical, and Ismail expects more problems to arise. In a related issue, another polling place has appeared in Qasr el-Nil. Ismail discovered its existence around 3pm on Saturday afternoon, the day before elections. When Bikya Masr spoke with her, Ismail did not know which constituency the station would serve. Ismail has faced a tough campaign against a major figure in the ruling National Democratic Party, Hisham Mustafa Khalil. Ismail, however, has refused to resort to the techniques typical of candidates in Egypt. Constituents say Khalil buys votes, paying LE500 to citzens or LE2,000 to cafe owners. Ismail insists the vote be fair. “We do not want people to rig the vote against us, but we also do not want any rigged votes for us,” she told Bikya Masr. Large banners with Khalil's face hang from nearly every tree or lamp post along the busy Nile-side road in downtown Cairo. Yesterday, dozens of posters and banners for other candidates were interspersed among them. Today, nearly all of those other posters have disappeared. BM
