NCHR RECEIVES 216 COMPLAINTS ON FIRST DAY OF EGYPT’S PRESIDENTIAL POLL

Cairo, 28 Rajab 1435/27 May 2014 (MINA) – Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) revealed on Tuesday that it received 216 complaints on the first day of the Egyptian presidential polls, Al-Ahram’s Arabic news website reported.

The semi-governmental organisation said it reported 151 complaints to the Presidential Electoral Commission (PEC), the judicial body overseeing the voting process, which will take the necessary procedures, Ahramonline quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

According to the NCHR report, violations predominantly occurred in the governorates of Port Said, Kafr Al-Sheikh, Suez, Beni Suef and Sohag.

On Monday 26 May, the first of the two-day poll, the NCHR dispatched seven groups to observe polling stations in the Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Suez, Qalioubiya, Beheira and North Sinai governorates.

The first day of voting was quieter and more peaceful than many national elections in Egypt have been in the last few years. One IED exploded near a polling station in Fayoum but led to no injuries, while police said another six were defused in three locations including Giza and Kafr El-Sheikh.

There were also some isolated clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, who argue the election is illegitimate. Police dispersed protests in Cairo, Alexandria and Minya, among other places.

The pro-Morsi National Alliance in Support of Legitimacy, meanwhile, released a statement saying that many Egyptians had boycotted the vote.

Today was declared a public holiday for government employees, according to a ministerial announcement last night, in an attempt to boost voter turnout. The PEC has also announced that voting will be extended by an hour today, to 10pm.

Minister of Local Development Adel Labib said in a news conference at the Cabinet headquarters Tuesday that the high temperature and as a large number of citizens fasting is to blame for the low voter turnout on the first day of elections.

Voters were crowding outside polling stations by the end of the day, but were not admitted due to the end of the voting period, Labib added. (T/P03/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)