Archive for polling stations

Egypt’s constitution passes with 63 percent approval rate

by admin
December 25th, 2012

Egypt’s High Judicial Elections Commission announced the final results of the referendum on the new constitution, with the official “yes” vote amounting to 63.8 percent.

Samir Abul Maati, head of the HJEC, said in a conference late Tuesday that out of 51,919,067 eligible voters, 17,058,317 cast their ballots, equaling a turnout of 32.9 percent.

A total of 10,693,911 voted in favor of the new constitution, while 661,101 or 36.2 percent said “no.” Invalid ballots totaled 303,395.

The draft constitution was put to a referendum over two stages, with 10 governorates voting on December 15 and the remaining 17 voting a week later.

The final results were close to preliminary tabulations, which showed an approval rate of 64 percent.

The commission says it has thoroughly reviewed all the complaints it received on violations, adding that the referendum was held under full judicial supervision at all polling stations since the electoral system prohibits non-judicial officials from overseeing the process.

The commission also allowed media personnel into polling stations by showing their press cards or other credentials, and observers were allowed to use the licenses issued them for the presidential election.

Abul Maati said that the late opening of some polling stations was made up for through the extension of voting hours, adding that results from the few polling stations that closed before the set time of 11 pm were invalidated.

On Monday, the Cairo Administrative Court said it would review around 50 lawsuits calling for the cancellation of the constitutional referendum results. The lawsuits allege that the voting process was plagued by violations including inadequate judicial oversight and overcrowded polling stations, which prevented thousands of voters from casting their ballots.

The suits further claim that holding the referendum over two days was also unlawful, as it is in violation of the March 2011 Constitutional Declaration and Law No. 46 of 2011 on exercising political rights, which stipulates that the referendum should be held in one round with results announced three days later.

The Islamist-backed constitution has widened the rift between political forces, with opponents arguing that the assembly which drafted is unrepresentative and that the document itself is riddled with vague wording while failing to safeguard rights and freedoms.

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‘Yes’ vote on constitution achieved by rigging, says opposition

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December 23rd, 2012

The opposition National Salvation Front blamed the apparent approval of the draft constitution on “rigging, violations and shortcomings in organization.”

Official results of the referendum are expected to be released on Monday, with early results indicating that the constitution was approved by 64 percent of voters, with only 32 percent of eligible voters participating in the poll.

The front, composed of several liberal parties, was formed in November to counter Islamist movements which had come to dominate the government and the Constituent Assembly. The NSF includes a number of liberal and secular leaders, including former presidential hopefuls Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa, and reformer Mohamed ElBaradei.

The opposition group had urged citizens to vote against the constitution draft in the two-day referendum, held on 15 and 22 December.

During the first day of voting on 15 December, the NSF alleged that violations and fraud were taking place. 


In a statement on Sunday, the group listed inadequate judicial supervision, delays in opening polling stations, polling stations closing before their schedule times, and workers in stations advising voters to cast a “yes” ballot among the violations that have been submitted to the Public Prosecution and High Judicial Elections Commission for investigation.

The NSF added that the Egyptian people did not respond to a misleading campaign implying that the referendum was a vote for or against Islamic Sharia, and stressed that it would continue to work for the interests and rights of Egyptians.
 

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As some polls close early, results trickle in

by admin
December 22nd, 2012

Polling stations have officially closed, amid continuing reports of polling stations around the country closing as early as 9:00 pm. Results from polling stations that closed began to trickle. Egypt Independent provides live updates of the vote counting as it unfolds. 

11:00 pm: Youssef Ragab, a journalist in Qena, told Egypt Independent that at least 15 polling stations were closed there before 9:30 pm. In northern Qena, two polling stations in Nagaa Hammadi reported their results. In the village of Hamra Doum, 230 voters said “yes” and 19 said “no,” while in Abu Hozam 238 said “yes” and 28 voted “no.”

The operation room of the National Salvation Front said that the first polling station in Luxor had announced its results, with 487 voters saying “yes” while 240 voters said “no.”

The Delta city of Qalyubiya also reported its first results from Shibin al-Qanater, where 132 voters said “no” and 112 said “yes.” Two other polling stations in Qalyubiya also announced results at 10:00 pm. The al-Qasheesh polling station in Shibin al-Kanater reported that 236 voters approved the constitution and 108 rejected it, while in Tookh 640 voters approved and 434 rejected the constitution.

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Scattered violations reported in referendum’s second round

by admin
December 22nd, 2012

 

As the first part of the day went by in the second phase of the constitutional referendum, monitoring groups reported scattered violations, including delays in opening polling stations, absent judges and directed voting.

The Free Egyptians Party operations room in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya said that 12 complaints were filed in the early hours of voting, mostly related to the identity of women wearing the face veil, the absence of the indelible phosphoric ink and delays in opening the polling stations.

The absence of phosphoric ink was also reported by the operations room of the National Salvation Front in the Delta city of Kafr al-Sheikh. The front’s operations room also reported that in the Delta city of Tala, Monufiya Governorate, voters complained about the absence of phosphoric ink, the voting forms not being sealed, and the voting stations being shut down repeatedly without clear reasons.

Meanwhile, several monitoring initiatives reported group voting and campaigning close to the polling stations.

The head of the monitoring organization Justice and Development, Nady Atef, said that dozens of Islamists have been monitored trying to talk voters into voting “yes” in front of some polling stations in some villages.

In Minya, the monitoring committees of Justice and Development and another group, Popular Watch, spotted Muslim Brotherhood members assembling voters and transporting them in buses to polling stations in Dirmwas and Malawy.

Group voting was also reported by state-run news agency MENA when members of the Freedom and Justice Party in the village of Eastern Tazmnt in Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, transported village residents from their homes to polling stations and instructed them to vote “yes.”

Similarly, a statement released by the National Salvation Front said that in the districts of Imbaba, Giza Governorate, and Khosos, Qalyubiya Governorate, voters were influenced inside and outside voting stations. Group voting was reported by the Front in Tala, Monufiya Governorate.

Meanwhile, the front reported multiple complaints of directing voters inside and outside the polling stations in the Delta’s Kafr al-Dawar in Beheira Governorate, Samalout in Minya Governorate and in the Imbaba district of Giza Governorate.

Lack of judges is another irregularity mentioned by several groups.

In the working-class district of Omraniya, Giza, there are polling stations without judges, some reports said. In other polling stations, judges refused to show their personal identification to prove that they are authorized to supervise the polling booths, a problem that also occurred during the first phase of the referendum. In addition, one person was arrested for impersonating a judge, the National Salvation Front reported.

Meanwhile, a judge at a polling station in Adwa, Minya, discovered that a lawyer belonging to the Freedom and Justice Party was performing the work of the secretary of the High Judicial Elections Commission, which supervises the presence of administrative staff within the polling station‫, MENA reported

Mahmoud Abu Shusha, a member of the secretariat of the high elections commission, claimed that 100 percent of the complaints regarding the absence of judges from polling stations during the first phase of the referendum were proved to be incorrect.

Another member, Mohamed al-Tanboly, said that whoever doubts the identity of a judge supervising a polling station should head to the main polling stations to inquire about the judge’s details, saying that voters’ demands to know the judges’ identities was a burden on them and disrupted their work.

An additional violation reported by the National Salvation Front’s operations room is pre-filled ballots. Such an incident was reported in a polling station in Imbaba, where a ballot box was already filled with cast ballots, despite the small number of voters queuing by the station.

The front added that it witnessed a judge at a polling station in Kafr Saad, Damietta Governorate, stuffing ballot papers inside the box.

Meanwhile, MENA said that ballots were being circulated in Ahnasia, Beni Suef, as people traded them under the direction of Freedom and Justice Party members in the village‫.

The voting, which is taking place in 17 governorates, is expected to conclude at 11 pm.

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Second phase of the referendum begins in 17 governorates

by admin
December 22nd, 2012

On Saturday 22 December, the second phase of the constitutional referendum begins in the remaining 17 governorates of Egypt. In the first phase, the referendum took place in 10 governorates. Initial results show a turnout of about 31 percent and a prevalence of the “yes” vote on the draft by about 57 percent.  In the second phase, 25,495,237 voters are registered to take part in the polls. The voting is taking place in Giza, Qalyubiya, Monufiya, Beheira, Kafr al-Sheikh, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Marsa Matrouh, Red Sea, New Valley, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Minya, Luxor and Qena. Egypt Independent provides updates on the voting process in those different places throughout the day. 

9:00 am: Prime Minister Hesham Qandeel toured some of the polling stations in Giza to ensure the process started smoothly, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported. Meanwhile, the voting has started in all governorates, with queues of voters already accumulating around some polling stations. Armed Forces personnel are deployed outside most polling stations. 

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Analysts predict low voter turnout in second round of referendum

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December 21st, 2012

Analysts are predicted a voter turnout ranging between 30 and 40 percent in the second phase of the constitutional referendum on Saturday, despite efforts to rally the vote by supporters and opponents of the constitution.

There was only 32 percent turnout in the first phase of voting, which was unexpected in light of long lines before polling stations.

Opposition forces have cited low turnout as evidence of a lack of national consensus on the draft constitution, saying that the document would have little legitimacy if passed with the minimum 50 plus one majority.

Voting takes place amid a bitter rift between Islamist forces pushing for a “yes” vote on the constitution, and opposition forces that say the document limits freedoms and rights.

“Voting blocs at the second round’s governorates, in light of Islamist domination, target increasing the 'yes' vote, so the constitution wouldn’t be challenged,” said Tarek Fahmy, a political science professor at the American University in Cairo, as quoted in the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

Some argued that the poor logistics and a shortage of judges, resulting in long lines at the polling stations, would discourage voters from participating.

 “In the best case scenario, participation at the second round will be the same of the first. It’s not expected to exceed 40 percent,” said Hussein Abu Taleb of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies said.

Other experts, however, were optimistic about approaching participation levels close to the 41 percent turnout in the referendum on the March 2011 Constitutional Declaration, which was the highest percentage of voter participation in Egypt’s history.

Responding to security concerns surrounding tomorrow's vote, Interior Ministry spokesperson Osama Ismail said the police would carry out their duty according to the law and would secure the referendum in the second phase.

Ministry leaders, officers and soldiers securing the electoral process have been instructed to confront any acts that may hinder vote or affect voters, he added.

"The role of the Ministry [of Interior] is to secure the committees and headquarters from the outside in coordination with the Armed Forces," he said.

Ismail called on voters to keep the process peaceful.

The second round of voting is set to take place on Saturday 22 December in 17 governorates, including Giza, Qalyubiya, Monufiya, Beheira, Kafr al-Sheikh, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Marsa Matrouh, Red Sea, New Valley, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Minya, Luxor and Qena.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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HEC rejects allegations of voting irregularities

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December 18th, 2012

High Elections Commission member Mahmoud Abu Shusha spoke out against reports of electoral violations in the constitutional referendum in a press conference on Tuesday.

He denied that some polling stations were supervised by individuals who were not judges, and also said there were no reported attempts to influence voters, as has been claimed by some rights groups.

He also swept aside reports that Secretary General Zaghloul al-Balshy would not be supervising the second round of voting scheduled for 22 December. Abu Shusha said Balshy did not attend the press conference because he was undergoing medical examinations for his eye, but that he was not abdicating his position.

Balshy is reported to be scheduled for eye surgery on Tuesday and may not be able to supervise voting on Saturday.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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National Salvation Front calls for mass protests Tuesday against referendum ‘fraud’

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December 17th, 2012

Egypt's main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, has called for mass protests Tuesday to denounce what it called "large scale fraud” in the first round of the constitution referendum on Saturday.

The first round of voting resulted in a 56.5 percent "yes" vote, according to preliminary results.

Abdel Ghaffar Shokr, a prominent figure in the Socialist Popular Alliance Party and member of the front, also said in a press conference Sunday that the high election commission should investigate voting irregularities reported by human rights watchdogs.

On Sunday, major human rights and civil society organizations demanded a repeat of the first round of voting, citing violations such as the lack of full judicial supervision of the vote, Freedom and Justice Party members congregating inside polling stations and Christians being barred from voting at some polling stations.

Shokr described such incidences as "rigging the vote" and said they affected "the integrity of the whole referendum," and he called on the commission to meet with front members and human rights groups to discuss the violations.

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Back to the barracks, army awaits referendum’s second round

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December 16th, 2012

Army troops securing the constitutional referendum vote returned to the barracks on Sunday, set to return to polling stations for the second round of voting next Saturday.

The Armed Forces had assigned 120,000 officers and soldiers with 6,000 armored vehicles to secure polling stations Saturday, in coordination with the Interior Ministry and the High Judicial Elections Commission, which is overseeing the vote.

The army’s deployment came after President Mohamed Morsy’s constitutional declaration last week, which gave the military the authority to arrest civilians until the referendum result is declared.

Under Morsy’s order, the military would support and cooperate with police to protect “vital institutions” and “secure polling stations.” The move was criticized by rights groups, who worried it would open the door to more civilians being tried before military courts.

But a presidential statement on Tuesday said any citizens arrested by the army during the referendum voting period would be tried before a civilian court.

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State observers refer 350 complaints over referendum to elections commission

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December 16th, 2012

The National Council for Human Rights said it recorded 437 complaints in its final report on the first round of the constitutional referendum, held in 10 governorates Saturday.

According to local media, 350 of the complaints were referred to the High Judicial Elections Commission, which is supervising the vote. The council received complaints via email and landline and mobile phones.

The report said the main violations observed by the NCHR, a state body, included delays in opening polling stations, campaigning in front of stations, attempts to sway voters inside and outside the stations, and observers being kept or hindered from their duties by polling station heads and security who didn’t recognize their permits to monitor the process.

It also cited people voting together in the same booth, bribing of voters, pre-marked ballots, access being denied to some voters, as well as poor organization at some stations.

Some voters’ lists were not at the polling stations, the report added. Also, some polling stations closed early in spite of the decision to extend voting hours.

Several rights organizations had accused the NCHR of bias in its monitoring of the referendum. The body is headed by Hossam al-Gheriany, head of the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the constitution.

The referendum took place in Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Sohag, Gharbiya, Assiut, Daqahlia, North Sinai, South Sinai and Aswan, with the other governorates scheduled to vote on 22 December.

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