Egyptian expats ready to vote in presidential election

CAIRO – 13 March 2018: Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands Amgad Abdel Ghaffar affirmed Tuesday finishing preparations for the voting process in the 2018 presidential election.

Abdel Ghaffar also affirmed contacting the Egyptian community in the Netherlands to inform them about the documents needed to be able to vote in the upcoming election.

The embassy has already tested its website, which is connected to the electoral date base, Abdel Ghaffar said, meaning that Egyptians abroad would be allowed to cast their vote online using the embassy’s website.

In Kampala, Egyptian Ambassador to Uganda Tarek Salam referred to contacting the Egyptian community in the country. The Egyptian people in the country have been urged to participate in the forthcoming election, he said, adding that he could feel that people appreciate the accomplishments achieved within the past four years.

Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Al-Qattan said that the Saudi authorities will work on facilitating the voting process procedures. Qattan also referred to the Egyptian community in Saudi Arabia, which totals about 3 million citizens, as the largest in number compared to Egyptian communities in other countries.

In an interview with Egyptian Ambassador to the UAE Wael Gad, he told Egypt Today about his expectation of a high voter turnout in the upcoming presidential election. Past experiences confirm that Egyptian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates are keen on voting in the presidential election, which urges the Egyptian mission to get fully prepared for welcoming a large number of voters, Gad said.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s campaign, headed by Ambassador Mahmoud Karem, held a meeting with 18 ambassadors on Sunday to review the preparations for the upcoming presidential election.

Following the meeting, the ambassadors urged Egyptian expats all over the world to practice their right to vote and participate in the democratic election.

Bahraini Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Sheikh Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa said to Egypt Today that the state facilitates all the procedures to guarantee a smooth voting process for all Egyptians. “We are certain that the election will satisfy the Egyptian people," he said.

Iraqi Ambassador Habib el-Sadr praised all the efforts President Sisi exerted during his first presidential term, saying, “If I was eligible to vote in the election, I would vote in favor of Sisi; I admire him and his achievements during his first presidential term.”

“The Iraqi government coordinates with the consulates in Iraq to ensure the success of the democratic process. The election will be running smoothly and successfully; we will provide all the logistical and security services for Egyptians in Iraq,” Sadr said.

With Egypt's presidential election approaching, Foreign Minister's Deputy Hamdi Loza, who oversees the elections for Egyptians abroad, said the first polling station to open its door for the voting process will be in New Zealand at 10:00 p.m. (CLT) on Thursday.

Loza called on Egyptians abroad to participate in the presidential elections, which will begin on March 16 and last for three days.

In 2017, the government estimated the number of Egyptians living abroad at 9.4 million.

Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election March 26-28 in Egypt, while expatriates will vote March 16-18 at 139 polling stations located in embassies and consulates in 124 countries, said Lashin Ibrahim, head of the National Election Authority (NEA), in a press conference.

NEA announced on February 24 the final list for Egypt’s upcoming presidential election, which consists of President Sisi and Moussa Moustafa Moussa, head of al-Ghad Party.

Sisi expressed his intention to run for president during his closing speech at the end of the three-day “Tale of a Homeland” conference, where the president and the Egyptian government presented an overview of the projects and achievements made in different fields over the last four years.

On his official Twitter account, Sisi called on the Egyptian people to participate intensively in the upcoming election and give their votes to whomever they see most eligible.