CAIRO: Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf met with members of the Cabinet today to discuss the possibility of allowing Egyptian nationals living abroad to vote in upcoming elections. The government is expected to allow Egyptian expatriates to vote in upcoming presidential elections, anticipated for sometime next year. They may also grant Egyptian expatriates the right to vote in the country's referendum votes, such as the constitutional referendum expected to take place next year. They will not be included in upcoming parliamentary votes, due to foreseen logistical problems in classifying electoral districts. Egyptian expatriates recently launched a digital “Right to Vote” campaign to advocate for their rights as Egyptian nationals. The online campaign has targeted the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and other top political figures. If allowed to vote, Egyptians living abroad could change the face of Egyptian elections, as their numbers near an estimated 8 million people. Activists said that the money sent from abroad is considered the “second top revenue of the Egyptian economy, after tourism, and that in itself should be a reason to acknowledge them.” BM
