CAIRO: Despite calls from local and international rights groups, the interim Egyptian government and the military junta have rejected international election monitors for the country's first vote in the post-Hosni Mubarak era. On Wednesday, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) said that they would not allow international observers to monitor the vote that activists hope will be the beginning of civilian rule in the country. The military has been in power since Mubarak was ousted by massive street protests on February 11. Maj. Gen. Mamdouh Shaheen, who presented the new law to reporters Wednesday, said barring foreign monitors was a necessary step to protect Egypt's sovereignty. “We have nothing to hide,” he said, adding that “we reject anything that affects our sovereignty.” Egyptian election monitors will observe the process instead, he said. Hafez Abou Saada, a member of the National Council for Human Rights, said promises of free and fair elections from the military are not enough, and noted that denying international monitors mirrors the line adopted by Mubarak's regime. “International monitors are part of any modern elections,” he said, in comments published by local media. “Many countries are watching what is happening in Egypt. This is not a very positive signal.” The new law also lowers the minimum age for candidacy for the lower house from 30 to 25, apparently to allow youth who led the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak to run. Rules for the upper house remain the same: Candidates must be at least 35-years-old, and a newly elected president will appoint 100 of the body's 390 members. Activists condemned the announcement on Wednesday, saying it is a clear step by the military to maintain power over the country's future. “We are definitely frustrated by the lack of oversight, which means we will continue our sit-ins across the country aimed at bringing a better future to all Egyptians,” one protester told Bikyamasr.com. BM
