2 polling stations allocated to workers in New Capital

CAIRO- 12 March 2018: Two polling stations will be established at the under-construction New Administrative Capital for workers from different governorates to vote in the upcoming presidential election, set to take place on March 26.

Chairman of the New Administrative Capital Company for Urban Development Ahmed Zaki Abdeen told Egypt Today on Monday that the two polling stations will be formed for 50,000 workers carrying out the construction work at the New Administrative Capital; the workers will not be voting at the same time to avoid work delay and overcrowding at the stations.

Abdeen remarked that the stations will include judges, delegates and security forces to secure the electoral process.

He added that these stations will be close to the projects' sites and premises, referring that the company will coordinate with the National Election Authority (NEA) and the concerned entities to set up the polling stations inside hangars.

He further remarked that the ballot boxes will be transferred to the main station at Badr City to count votes.

In this regard, Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Communities Abdul Muttalib Omara said that the first housing units at the New Administrative Capital and new Alamein City will be announced for booking within two months.

He added that a committee inside the Urban Communities Authority will price the housing units at the New Administrative Capital and new Alamein; several systems will be set for payment and booking.

He further explained that payments for the housing units can be made at the Housing and Development Bank branches in cash,in five-year installments without interest or in 15-year-installments using mortgage.

In October 2017, Egypt celebrated the launch of the first phase of the New Administrative Capital. President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail inaugurated the project.

“It is too early to say we have achieved anything… this is only the first step,” President Sisi said, noting that the New Administrative Capital will go down in history as a major achievement and a turning point in Egypt’s development.

Head of the Armed Forces’ Engineering Authority Kamilel-Wazir said during the opening ceremony that the authority started working on the project in July 2016. “We were assigned to work on the governmental district, which will span over 1,133 feddans and will include buildings of ministries and the parliament.”

He added that they are also working on the residential district, the New Capital Airport, universities and a network of roads and tunnels.

The New Administrative Capital is the government’s ambitious means of expanding urban development in Cairo and accommodating the rising population of Egypt. The project has been announced in 2015 and is being developed by the New Administrative Capital for Urban Development.