Various observatories continued to report violations in different parts of Cairo during the second phase of the parliamentary election, with the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) vowing to address all violations and complaints presented by citizens and groups.
The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood said an operations room was formed to report on violations related to children, and it observed cases of child abuse in various governorates.
The council added that a number of candidates used children in their campaigning, “making them wear badges with pictures of candidates in front of the polling stations”. In a Monday statement, the council added that other cases included children being used to distribute flyers for candidates. One report by the Raqeb Ya Masry (Egyptian, Observe) campaign said a mentally challenged girl was wearing a t-shirt with the picture of candidate Malak Sadiq.
In Cairo, reports said polling stations in Dar Al-Salam did not have enough voting cards and phosphoric ink, and had only one ballot box for both individual and list candidates. In the same district, the coalition reported bribes presented by candidates Reda Lashen and Tayser Matar.
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) said the second day of the second phase of elections witnessed “exploiting female voters by buying their votes and directing them to vote for a certain candidate or party”, along with numerous administrative errors observed which hindered the voting process.
The ECWR noted that in Helwan a number of voters complained that their polling stations were far from their homes and that going to these stations cost them, therefore they preferred to not vote. Meanwhile, others complained of the lack of voting booths for privacy.
As for bribes, observers reported in Boulaq that candidates collected citizens’ personal identification cards to guarantee their votes in exchange for money. While in Zeitoun, meals were distributed in boxes carrying pictures of candidates.
Also in Tal Kalzam School in Helwan, it was reported that a number of female voters took pictures of their voting cards to show candidates and receive bribes. The ECWR noted the presence of vote-buying operations in the Rod El-Farag constituency for EGP 300 and from EGP 300 to EGP 400 in the El-Zahar district.
The Maat foundation also reported violations in several constituencies in Cairo. For example,
electoral banners and flyers were distributed for certain candidates in the vicinity of polling stations in Mataryia and Madient El-Salam. It added that security forces prevented two candidates from distributing their posters inside the polling stations and expelled them.
Also in the Mataryia constituency, in Mohamed Metwaly El-Sharaawy Primary School, the judge expelled the delegate of candidate Salem Massoud for directing a female voter.
It also reported that candidate attempts to direct voters continued in Old Cairo, as well as the Zahraa School and the Hoda Sharawy School in Helwan through laptops. The security forces arrested one delegate of candidate Hussien Abu Gad for directing voters in Hadaek Al-Kobba.
