CAIRO: Voting in the parliamentary and presidential elections will be with the national ID and under complete judicial supervision, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) said Thursday. The SCAF announced amendments to the political participation law, which governs the electoral process for the legislative and presidential elections and referendums. The changes diminish the role of Ministry of Interior in the process. The amendments gave Egyptians living abroad the right to vote while continuing a voting ban on police and army personnel. The voting process will come under the supervision of the Supreme Judicial Committee, headed by the chief justice of the Court of Cassation. "The law was prepared by several committees at the Cabinet representing national powers and applied most of the suggestions they received to meet public interest,” said General Mamdouh Shahin, assistant to defense minister for legal affairs. The elections are set to take place in more than one phase based on geographical divisions. Shahin stressed the ban on the use of religious slogans in campaigning. Violators will be eliminated by the Supreme Administrative Court and will only be able to challenge the decision except before this court. The Higher Judicial Committee will be responsible for preparing voter lists — instead of the ministry of interior — allocating election symbols and organizing the work of local and international civil monitors. Voters will only be allowed to vote in the area of residence indicated on their national ID. They can find out their voting station online, through a call center or from the police station they are registered at. Shahin said that they are still discussing whether to apply the first past the post or the party list electoral system, and have not yet reached a decision regarding the women's quota. These issues will be decided in the yet-to-be-issued People's Assembly and Shoura Council law. Shahin denied that SCAF will grant amnesty to ousted president Mubarak and said that granting amnesty comes after the suspect is prosecuted and a punishment is issued. He said that calls for a civil presidential council are a "step backward". "The majority of Egyptian voters voted yes for the SCAF and a constitutional declaration was made stating that the SCAF is ruling the country in the transitional period," Shahin said. "The SCAF is legitimate, doesn't take orders from anyone and only concerned about the interest of the country," he added. Shahin confirmed that the elections will take place in September.
