CAIRO: The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights in coordination with the Egyptian Coalition for Civil Education and Women's participation monitors the referendum on March 19, 2011. * The Coalition's operations room monitored at the early hours of referendum on the constitutional amendments, a violation of Muslim Brotherhoods to the decrees of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces; for they provoked voters to say “YES” before the stations of referendum. In addition, they published posters that violate rules, and no one banned them. * The Referendum Day is considered to be a great chance that was best used by Muslim Brotherhoods to announce and assure dialogue with others to say “YES” for the constitutional amendments. They preached in many mosques and Friday prayers on March 18, 2011 that it is important to vote “YES”. * Poverty of people and their need to foodstuffs were best used by some; the thing that lead to appearance of bribery with foodstuffs. Our monitors witnessed the following: First: the administrative preparations of the referendum were not as needed: The administrative preparations of the referendum were not as needed; for large percentage of forms were not sealed, and many voting stations were not opened on due time. In addition, there were no curtains and locks on the boxes in most of the stations. Moreover, phosphoric ink was not used in some stations and can be easily removed, as well as number of judges was not enough as indicated in the following: - In Al Gharbia: * The voting stations at School of Al Shaheed Gamal Aldein Ghoneim and the preparatory school for girls in Sandras were not open till 11 am, because consultants did not come on time. Yet, the other school that is one kilo meters far is opened for voters, while because of being far, voters decided to go back to their homes. One of the ECWR monitors called police station and asked men of armed forces, but they did not tell him about their being late. Cairo: * In Al Mansouria School in Al Sharabia, our monitors assured that the voting stations were free from voting boxes and that the officials take the voting documents and collect them. * In Madinet Nasr, School of Tarmim Al Athar, voting stations were opened at 9.30 Helwan: * Future Experimental School had no judge till 12 pm * There is a high turnout on voting at voting stations; the thing that lead to departure of many voters and return back to their homes (Al Masara Al Mahatta School in Helwan Constitution) * At Taha Hussein School, constitution no.33 Bani Mazar, there was a violation of laws of elections committee that ban any one from a different district to vote in any district except his. * In the governorate, there were amounts of oil, sugar and rice distributed to citizens by Muslim Brotherhoods in districts of Al Masara, Ezbet Alwalda, and Al Masaken Alektesadia. * Muslim Brotherhoods called voters to submit papers in order to extract for them social solidarity pension. Giza: * In schools of Zamalik, unstamped forms have been monitored. * In Bashteel district, there was distribution of cooking oil, sugar and rice on the citizens by the Muslim Brothers. * In Agouza, the citizens complained in the Serum and Vaccine Committee that the cards were unstamped, and after 30 minutes stamped cards came, which aroused doubts of the citizens. El Menia: * In the secondary school of girls in Bani Mazar, many citizens said that they are prevented from putting the ballot cards in the box; instead they are put by the judge on behalf of the electors after looking at them, if they found them “No”, they don't put them in the box and put just beside it. * In El Sanquoria and Taha Hussein schools in Bani Mazar, the judges prevent citizens from using their pens due to electors' fear from the Chinese pens that disappear after one hour. * At the high school for girls in Minia Governorate, District of Beni Mazar, one of the employees was discussing with one of the voters the amendments; the thing that lead to a quarrel between him and a woman and then the judge interfered and ended the quarrel. * At School of Al Kawady, in Matay district, in constituency no. 1, members of Muslim Brotherhoods had an assault on the citizens who decided to say no. Qena: o Constituency of Quenawia, in Nag Hammadi, Qena Governorate, did not start work except at 1pm on Saturday 03/19/2011, because the supervising judge did not attend on time. 6th of October: o In Al Kom Alahmar district, in primary school, there was a quarrel between youth of 25teh of January and Muslim Brotherhoods; for Muslim Brotherhoods told people to vote and say YES. The military officers stopped the quarrel and the voting stopped till settling the situation. o There was a high turnout among women more than men in Osim constituency in Primary Education School in Saqil. Assiut: * Sheikhs in Friday praying yesterday urged people to say “Yes”, therefore people of Assiut went out to say “Yes”, since sheikh Muhammad Hassan said “Yes”. * In Assiut also flyers and publications were distributed in front of the committee urging people to say “Yes”. Fayuom: * In Snoris center, Muslim Brotherhood distributed yesterday foodstuffs to urge people to go the referendum and say “Yes”. * Women (face veiled women) of the Muslim Brotherhood go to houses to urge women to vote and to take them to the ballot centers. ECWR
