Army pledges trouble-free Mon-Tues vote EU deploys 54 short-term observers Ashraf Sadek - Cairo As the official campaigning for this weeks presidential elections came to an end on Saturday, the Armed Forces said that it would mobilise a force of 181,912 highly-trained officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers to protect more than 53,909,306 Egyptians who would be flocking to 25, 343 polling stations nationwide on Monday and Tuesday to elect a new head of state. The army said it would use helicopters to guard against possible attacks during the two-day elections, which start in the early hours of Monday when voters arrive at the polling stations to cast their ballots. A second round of voting will be held on the following Tuesday. About 53,909,306 Egyptians have been called to vote in the presidential elections. Upon direct orders from the Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General Sedki Sobhi, a total of 181,912 army personnel will be supporting thousands of policemen, who will be deployed nationwide to help ensure security until the end of the elections. The responsibility, the patriotic duty, as well as the honour of the military obligate members of the Armed Forces to secure the presidential vote because it is the symbol of honour and prestige of the nation, the army said, adding that if anyone attempted to mar the voting process, they should hold themselves responsible. Many of Egypts judges have said they will oversee the Monday-Tuesday vote, as is required under the law to ensure it is legitimate. There are just two candidates, ex-military chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi. Sisi has promised to launch a Marshall Plan for the country if he won the poll. Likewise, Sabahi said he -if he won the elections - would build a new, modern and progressive state based on social justice and human dignity. The presidential vote is the second key milestone in a road map that was envisaged by the government after a popular uprising ousted former president Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013. It will be followed by parliamentary elections that are due to be held this year. The government has launched a campaign urging the public not to give up their right and participate in the elections. It also said that international organisations and local groups had been approved to monitor the elections. In a related development, the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Egypt deployed yesterday 54 short-term observers in the governorates to monitor the Monday-Tuseday elections. The observers received prior to their deployment a detailed briefing on the polling process, electoral and political environment, human rights, the media and operational issues, Deputy Chief Observer Nikolai Vulchanov said. “The short-term observers are under the leadership of Chief Observer Mario David, a member of the European Parliament from Portugal. They will not interfere in the electoral process including by offering advice and assistance to the election officials and other stakeholders. This is the election of the Egyptian people. The EU EOM does not legitimise the electoral process nor does it validate the election results. EU election observers are bound by a code of conduct that ensures their neutrality and impartiality, he said. In March, Sisi left the military when he announced his candidacy for president. Sisi has picked up 94.5 per cent of votes cast abroad in the presidential election . In the ballots cast abroad, Sisi won the backing of 296,628 expats in 124 countries during voting on May 15-19. Only 17,207 votes of the total 318,033 cast went to Sisis sole rival, Sabahi. Sisi supporters see in him a tough leader capable of restoring security and reviving an economy badly hit by three years of turmoil after the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Sisi is now riding on a wave of popularity for brandishing a pledge to restore the economy and order to the nation. Mr. Sabahi says he and his campaign reflects the revolutionaries who toppled two presidents since 2011, Mubarak and Morsi, and who aim to achieve bread, freedom and social justice -- the demands of millions of protesters who ousted Mubarak.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 10:19:13 +0000
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