Egypt's stocks retreat on Wednesday; July 30 amid local sell-off    Egypt's Cabinet approves E-Tax platform contract    EU economic sentiment improves in July '25    PM: Sisi's Gaza speech reaffirms Cairo's steadfast stance on Palestinian cause    Egypt, France airdrop aid to Gaza amid growing humanitarian crisis, global criticism of Israel    Egypt launches initiative with traders, manufacturers to reduce prices of essential goods    SCZONE chief discusses strengthening maritime, logistics cooperation with Panama    Supply minister discusses strengthening cooperation with ITFC    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Egypt reviews health insurance funding mechanism to ensure long-term sustainability    Gaza on verge of famine as war escalates, ceasefire talks stall    Gaza crisis, trade on agenda as Trump hosts Starmer in Scotland    Egyptian president follows up on initiatives to counter extremist thought    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    Egypt will keep pushing for Gaza peace, aid: PM    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi sends letter to Nigerian president affirming strategic ties    Egypt, Senegal sign pharma MoU to unify regulatory standards    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Army denies reports that Egyptian expats won't be allowed to vote
Published in Daily News Egypt on 13 - 05 - 2011

CAIRO: The military ruling army council denied late Thursday press reports about an amended law for practicing political rights that wouldn't allow Egyptians living abroad to vote in the next parliamentary elections.
“The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) confirms that such reports are untrue and that the army reaffirms its trust in all segments of the Egyptian people,” read a statement published on the council's official Facebook page.
“The army council warns … against tendentious rumors that aim to undermine the unity of the Egyptian people at such a historical [phase],” the statement added.
On Thursday, daily independent Al-Masry Al-Youm quoted an unnamed military source as saying the SCAF had already submitted the law to the Cabinet and that the legislation would be announced during a press conference on Saturday.
When contacted by Daily News Egypt early Thursday, military sources, along with other officials, refused to confirm or deny the news.
In a telephone interview with ON TV's “Baladna Bel Masry” talk show, Assistant Defense Minister for Legal Affairs Mamdouh Shahine said that carrying out the voting process abroad was “subject to administrative and regulatory measures.”
“But in general the constitution grants Egyptian expatriates the right to vote,” Shahine told TV host Reem Maged.
He called on the public and the media to wait until the law is declared and not to precede events, saying it would be passed within days.
“You will find that the law meets all demands,” he said.
According to Shahine, the parliamentary elections will be held in September as decided earlier.
The emergency state may be lifted prior to the polls if the security situation in the country stabilized, he added.
On April 30, the caretaker government had announced that Egyptians abroad will be able to cast their vote in both parliamentary and presidential elections at Egyptian embassies in about 140 countries.
However, Media Advisor to Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, Ahmed El-Samman, said the law would not be active unless the SCAF accredited it.
Meanwhile, National Association for Change (NAC) said in a statement Thursday that a draft of the amended law was secretly leaked, calling on the army council to disclose the identities of the public figures and politicians who acquired it.
NAC also demanded the SCAF put forward the law for public discussions before passing it.
Yet Shahine refuted these allegations saying that draft law was available for everybody and that public figures and ordinary people reviewed and discussed it alike.
A page on the social networking site Facebook, called the Popular Campaign for Supporting the Right of Egyptians Abroad to Vote, was created hours after the unconfirmed news was published.
One day later the page administrators and subscribers accused the army council of deliberately spreading the rumor in order to test the people's reaction before it denied the news.


Clic here to read the story from its source.