Untitled - orsam

“Looking at the period leading up to the elections and including what we have seen
today, it’s worse than 2005,” said Tom Malinowski, the head of the Human Rights Watch
Washington bureau who is in Cairo observing the elections.
Malinowski was standing outside of a polling station in the Dokki/Agouza district, which
had been forcibly closed.
“Why would they close it? When you have no international observers and no domestic
observers outside and no judicial monitors inside polling stations, and they are all ruling
party voters inside, that has the effect of rigging the election in this polling station at
least,” said Malinowski.
In an initial observation on the progress so far, Ahmad Fawzy, director of the Egyptian
Association for the Enhancement of Political Participation said, “Turnout is lower than
expected. People didn’t vote because the electoral process lacks judicial supervision and
candidates didn’t spend money directly on them.”
He added that most candidates’ expenditure had been directed toward bribing those in
charge of polling stations.
A witness told Al-Masry Al-Youm that he saw yesterday at night a truck-full of filled ballot
boxes being taken into a polling station in Heliopolis. (Al Masry Al Youm)
Egyptians await the outcome of a parliamentary run-off meant to end weeks of
instability, but reports of violence and accusations of voter intimidation and rigged
results have created an atmosphere of tension and fear.
Muslim Brotherhood candidates, have proved to be the biggest threat in a tight race that
has triggered conflict amid simmering tension between MB supporters and NDP
advocates
Sayfa 59