CAIRO – The international monitoring of parliamentary polls is provoking debate in the Egyptian street, especially now that the elections are imminent. The Military Council has rejected the idea of using international monitors in the elections, instead permitting NGOs in Egypt, in collaboration with the citizens, to control the electoral process from A to Z. The European Union recently offered the Egyptian Government observers to monitor the parliamentary elections and then the presidential elections. In rejecting the offer, the Egyptian Government stressed that NGOs are able to monitor the polls under the umbrella of the National Council for Human Rights. However, this rejection has angered some Egyptian human rights organisations which are worried about possible violations in the electoral process. Nabil Helmi, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Zagazig University, says that Egypt doesn't need international monitors, who have their own interests at heart. "The Egyptian people don't want foreign interference in their domestic affairs. In any case, Egypt has several NGOs that can control the electoral process, while the Higher Elections Committee guarantees that the process will be properly supervised,” Helmi notes. Hafez Abu Se'da, head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, approves of international supervision of the elections, especially at this time. “If the Egyptian Government allowed international monitoring, it would be more eager to adopt a reform programme,” says Abu Se'da, adding that the international monitors would help prevent the violence we are all too accustomed to see at election time. “International monitoring doesn't mean interference in Egypt's domestic affairs, but what it shall do is guarantee the integrity and transparency of elections, making the voters and candidates alike feel more confident.” Lawyer Bahaa El-Din Abu Shoqa, deputy chairman of Al-Wafd Party, rejects the idea. “I think the Egyptian people, after their recent revolution, will insist that the forthcoming elections express the popular will,” he argues. “Egypt has a long democratic history and knew about liberty before many other Arab countries. Meanwhile, the majority of Egyptians will vote in the forthcoming elections for the first time in long decades.” Professor of International Law Fouad Abdel-Moneim Riyad told Al-Wafd opposition newspaper that the international monitoring of the forthcoming polls is necessary, especially as these will be the first elections since the recent revolution. “International monitoring of elections is a recognised principle, adopted by many countries in Europe such as France and Spain, which ask global organisations affiliated to the United Nations to monitor their polls,” he explained. “To refuse international monitoring provokes suspicions of an intention to rig the elections, something we're all fed up of. Under the toppled regime, we called many times for international supervision because of this,” says Ahmed Ouda, a legal expert and a member of Al-Wafd Party.
