"Narrative Summit" Releases 2025 Recommendations to Cement Egypt's Position as a Global Tourism Destination    Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    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    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.



Sabahy campaign withdraws from polling stations due to frequent violations
Published in Daily News Egypt on 28 - 05 - 2014

The elections process is "beginning to be taken out of its democratic context and stripped of the basic guarantees of freedom of expression," Nasserist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sabahy, who added that the safety of his campaign members is no longer guaranteed, announced the withdrawal of his campaign members from polling stations on Tuesday night.
The Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) extended on Tuesday the elections for a third day. Voting began on Monday and was initially scheduled to end Tuesday; the elections will determine the next president in a poll between former Defence Minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Nasserist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy, with the former widely expected to win.
The presidential candidate said that his campaign has faced "wide-scale" violations during the 48 hours of voting on Monday and Tuesday. Several members of Sabahy's campaign have been arrested while observing the elections; in one instance, a campaign member was referred to the military prosecution. He added that other members were denied entrance to the polling stations while others were expelled. The presidential candidate also cited difficulty in reporting the violations his campaign members have faced.
The campaign posted on Tuesday the testimony of one of its members, who claimed he was physically assaulted and threatened with arrest by security personnel after he tried to document a violation practiced by a member of Al-Sisi's campaign.
Sabahy said his campaign members observed several violations during the first two days of voting. Violations ranged from campaigning outside polling stations and ballot stuffing.
Al-Dostour Party, one of the parties supporting Sabahy for president, strongly condemned violations it observed during the two days of elections. The party stated that its members were ill-treated by administrators, employees and judges inside the polling stations. It added that some of its members were also assaulted by supporters of Al-Sisi.
At least two members of Al-Dostour Party were arrested on Tuesday while observing the elections.
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), one of the domestic organisations observing the elections, reported several violations it spotted during the first couple of hours of voting on Wednesday. Violations reported ranged from tardiness in the opening of polling stations and denying access of campaign members to polling stations to transporting citizens to polling stations to vote for Al-Sisi.
Violations were reported by several domestic watchdog organisations on Monday and Tuesday. The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) said it received 361 complaints of violations during the first two days of voting, 242 of which it referred to the Presidential Elections Commission (PEC).
On Tuesday, the NCHR reported 145 violations. They included: denying campaign members access to polling stations, influencing voters' decisions, campaigning outside polling stations and arresting presidential campaign members.
The EOHR also reported several violations it observed during the second day of voting. Violations included voters assaulting employees and judges at the polling stations and pro-Mohamed Morsi Anti-Coup Alliance members attacking polling stations with Molotov cocktails to scare away voters.
The EOHR also reported incidents of judges trying to influence voters' decisions in Sabahy's favour, as well as campaigning for Al-Sisi near and inside polling stations.
The Supreme Electoral Commission approved 79 domestic and 6 international organisations to come to Egypt and observe the two-man run off for Egypt's 6th president.
International observers include: the European Union Election Observation Mission, the Arab League, the African Union Election Observation Mission, and the Global Network for Rights and Development.


Clic here to read the story from its source.