Egyptian Presidential Elections: ICEM Early Press Statement

Wednesday, September 7, 2005 10:15AM

Free, fair and transparent elections are the basis for any meaningful democracy. The Independent Committee for Election Monitoring (ICEM) has recruited, trained and deployed a total of 2,200 observers to observe the voting process, aiming to provide for the integrity and the credibility of the election process.

Pre-Election Day Assessment

On Tuesday, September 6, ICEM observers were deployed to their polling subcommittees in order to assess the preparedness of the polling centers to conduct the voting and accommodate voters. Yesterday, ICEM observers reported the following:

Majority of the polling centers were not marked as the polling facilities;
Majority of the polling centers have not received any of the voting materials;
Majority of the observers have reported that no preparatory work in terms of setting up the polling centers has been done.
Majority of the polling were still displaying campaign materials supporting the incumbent, President Mubarak.

ICEM observers have not had access to mid-Sinai due to security reasons. An estimated 30,000 voters live in mid-Sinai.

Election Day Monitoring: The Opening of the Polls

All ICEM observers have been deployed since early morning to their designated areas of responsibility and voting facilities in order to monitor the opening of the polls.

ICEM Observers Beaten, Apprehended and Interrogated

Four ICEM observers have been beaten by police in Assiut. 8 observers were apprehended, interrogated and then released by security in Alexandria, Sohag, Kafr al-Sheikh and Dairut. In addition a number of ICEM observers were harassed. ICEM strongly condemns all these acts against its observers and views these as the violation of basic human rights. ICEM observers continue to carry out their work, which they consider a duty to Egypt and its citizens. ICEM calls on all the government authorities to enable and assist election monitors to perform their duties aimed at ensuring the fairness and freedom of the election.

The state security authorities have demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with ICEM monitors to ensure their safety and limit potential violations.

Polling Centers Not Marked Properly

The vast majority of the polling centers observed by the ICEM continue either not to be marked at all or not properly identified as polling centers and thus violating the voters’ right to know and identify their voting place. ICEM calls on the authorities to immediately mark the polling centers and thus help voters identify and locate polling places in order to carry out their duty as voters.

Polling Centers Late in Opening

An estimated 20% of the polling stations opened late, that is to say did not open until well after 8:00 AM.

Many observers throughout Egypt have reported that polling stations have not been supplied with the appropriate indelible ink as stipulated by the law. In addition, a significant number of the polling stations are not using the indelible ink but instead an easily removable ink.

Campaign Materials and Other Violations

ICEM observers have reported that the majority of the polling centers continue to have campaign materials supporting the incumbent, President Mubarak.

In the Behira governorate, Dnelgate district voters at their homes have received the information on where to go to vote that in the back had the photo of incumbent, President Mubarak.

In the Sayyida Zeinab area of Cairo, observers have reported that police confiscated citizens’ identification documents and told them to collect them at the polling stations. A similar violation was reported at the Roxy Hospital in Cairo when a police officer named Behah, assisted by the nurse Fawzeya Bejoumi confiscated the identification documents of several patients and made them swear that they would vote for Mubarak before returning the IDs.