CAIRO: The Shoura Council elections took place Tuesday amidst reports of violations by opposition candidates and rights groups regarding the voting process, with most complaints coming from Muslim Brotherhood candidates.
Reports of violations were submitted from several constituencies in numerous governorates, including Daqahliya, Menufiya and Alexandria. While the majority of complaints concerned Muslim Brotherhood candidates, other opposition candidates also reported violations at polling stations.
Rights groups also reported violations in various constituencies. There were also outbreaks of violence that lead to numerous injuries and one confirmed case of a shootout in Behiera.
The Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement reported that in Daqahliya, observers witnessed the arrival of a microbus (number 24345) at the polling center of Sidi Younes in Mansoura carrying stacks of papers which were then carried by the Security Forces into the polling center after the voting process had begun. There is no information on what these papers included.
At the same time, residents in Mansoura witnessed violent altercations and insults in front of the polling center of Meit Aly Secondary Schools between Hassan Metwally, the National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate, who reportedly declared that he "will win the elections despite the will of everyone," and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate.
The Association also reported that candidate representatives were prevented from entering polling stations and the representative of Moussa Mostafa Moussa, head of Al-Ghad Party, was beaten at the polling station of Al-Tarbiah Al-Haditha School in South Giza constituency.
Ashraf Badreldin, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate for Ashmon-Shama in the governorate in Menufiya, told Daily News Egypt, “These were crimes that happened, not mere violations. There were 452 stations in my constituency; I was only allowed to run in 192. In half of those they said the paperwork was not correct. In the others my delegates were kicked out after 15 minutes.”
Tagammu Party candidate, Abdel Rashid Helal, was reportedly prevented from extracting any proxies for his representatives after acquiring 250 proxies from which he received only 23 proxies at Al Badrasheen constituency in the Sixth of October governorate.
Democratic Status Watch observers reported severe security interventions in Abu Radwan village, preventing voters from entering the polling center, and those who were permitted entry were accompanied by the NDP delegates.
Counselor Ahmed Shawky, official spokesman of the Supreme Electoral Commission, told Daily News Egypt, “There were no violations, the elections took place in calm circumstances but there were isolated incidents that could have happened anywhere.”
The shootout in Beheira involved police officer Ahmed El-Banna and MB supporter Fayez Mahdi Arabi. The MB website reported that El-Banna shot Arabi in an attempt to disperse the crowds wishing to reach the ballot boxes while the Supreme Electoral Commission stated that it was a shootout that began between rival supporters and which the police tried to stop.
On the shootout in Beheira, Shawky said, “There was gunfire exchange between supporters of the two candidates which led to a policeman being shot in his hand and a citizen shot in the thigh.”
Shawky also said that in Gharbeya and Daqahliya supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood candidates tried to storm through to the ballot boxes but were repelled by security forces.
Badreldin said, “The violations were committed under the supervision of the state authorities. Thugs in three cars were going station to station kicking out the representatives and blacking out the voting cards. Those thugs were accompanied by two uniformed policemen in the cars. There were injuries sustained and the prosecution office and the hospital refused to file reports.”
Shawky said, “The commission received 75 complaints throughout the day and after investigation it was concluded that the majority of them were baseless and those that weren’t were dealt with.”
Shawky added, “We received complaints in the morning about journalists being prevented from entering the electoral zones, but this was resolved immediately and no complaints were submitted after that.”
“Representatives of the Supreme Electoral Commission showed up an hour and half late,” Badreldin said. “In one instance an NDP candidate’s supporters stormed the station and prevented my delegates from entering and fraud was committed.”
Badreldin added, “The complaints we submitted to the supreme electoral commission were ignored. This will lead to the loss of hope of reform or change with Egyptians through the ballot box and might have serious repercussions on our future, with people possibly turning to violence.”
Some 446 candidates have vied for 74 seats in 55 constituencies across the country. Of these, 115 represent 13 parties and 331 are running as independents.
The Shoura Council was founded in 1980 based on a constitutional amendment passed following a public referendum. The People’s Assembly (the Lower House of Parliament) then approved the formation of the Shoura Council.
The Shoura Council has 264 members; two thirds are elected by direct secret ballot, half of them at least, must be workers and farmers. The remaining third is appointed by the president.
The term of membership of the Shoura Council is six years. A bi-election is held every three years. The Speaker of the Shoura Council is the Chairman of the Supreme Press Council.
The council may not be dissolved except by a presidential decree and only in case of necessity. Members of the council have parliamentary immunity.
The council is consulted in several issues including, but not limited to, proposed constitutional amendments, draft laws, general plans for socio-economic development and all treaties affecting Egypt’s territorial integrity or sovereignty.
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An Egyptian woman casts her ballot for the Shoura Council at a voting station in Cairo on June 1. (AFP Photo/Khaled Desouki)
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Supporters of Farouk Abdel Ghany, NDP candidate, parade through the streets to scare his competitors in Al Beheira, during Shura Council elections Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ahmed Ali)
