(AFP PHOTO/MAHMOUD KHALED)
Citizens who failed to obtain a train ticket on Tuesday would not be fined, Minister of Transportation Ibrahim El-Demeiry announced. The minister pointed out that this came as part of the ministry’s goal to facilitate the process of reaching polling stations for citizens.
The presidential elections took place on Monday 26 May and Tuesday 27 May.
Social networking websites Tuesday had sparked claims that metro and train tickets would be free. However, an official source from the Ministry of Transportation denied these rumours.
Social media websites have also criticised what they have called a low turnout of voters, which they said has been “dominated by older Egyptians” rather than youth.
Late Monday, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb announced that the second voting day of the presidential elections will be a national day-off.
Some governmental affiliated entities have encouraged citizens to head to the voting stations such as the Federation of Egyptian Industries and the Alexandrian Chamber of Commerce.
The economic team of the cabinet headed to their voting stations on both election days including Minister of Petroleum Sherif Ismail, Minister of Foreign Trade, Industry and Investment Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Minister of Transportation Ibrahim El-Demeiry and Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Khaled Hanafy.
Minister of Finance Hany Kadry Dimian stressed that the voting is an “imperative duty on every citizens towards a great nation [Egypt]”.
Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou said that the presidential elections would help improve the image of Egypt abroad and urged citizens to vote.
Meanwhile, Hossam El-Shaer, the chairman of the tourism companies’ chamber, has provided buses to transport employees who work in the hotels and tourism institutions in Sharm- El-Sheikh and Hurghada to polling stations. The chairman of the hotels’ chamber contacted hotel managers asking them to provide buses for employees.
Coinciding with the first day of presidential elections, the Ministry of Finance referred the state’s general budget to the presidency for approval on Monday.
