FILE - The National Election Authority Building in Cairo
CAIRO – 26 February 2018: Egyptian National Election Authority (NEA) has approved dozens of NGOs to observe and monitor the upcoming presidential election due to take place in late March including the National Council of Human Rights and the National Women’s Council.
Mahmoud Lasheen, NEA’s official spokesperson, told Egypt Today that 53 local civil organizations and nine international and Arab organizations have been accredited to observe and monitor the 2018 presidential election in which two presidential candidates have been officially announced for the presidential bid.
“The nine international organizations approved by the NEA are as follows: Ma’ona Association for Human Rights and Immigration, Yemen, America, Arab Organization for Human Rights, Libyan Academic Organization, Sweden Center for Human Rights, Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, Volunteers Association without Borders, the Ecumenical Alliance for Human Rights and Development, Assyrian Monitor For Human Rights and the International Center for Research and Human Rights in Brussels,” Lasheen added.
He manifested that six political entities also have been approved by the NEA to take part in observing and monitoring the upcoming presidential election as follows:
1. Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
2. African Union
3. Arab League
4. Arab Parliament
5. COMESA
6. Community of Sahel-Saharan States
The NEA announced the 2018 presidential election timeline on January 8. Potential candidates were allowed to submit their applications between January 20 and 29. The final list of the candidates was announced on February 24.
Voting will take place for three days starting March 26 domestically, while it will begin on March 16 for expats from 9 am to 9 pm in each country’s local time. The winning candidate will be announced on April 2. Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election.
The official candidates for the presidential election include the incumbent President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Al-Ghad party’s Moussa Moustafa Moussa.
Organizations applying for a permit to monitor the elections should be working primarily in the fields of election observation, human rights or support for democracy, in addition to enjoying a good reputation of integrity and objectivity. Former experience with observing elections is a must.
Every organization should submit a report detailing what it observed after the election process is over. Observing organizations are prohibited from announcing any results until they are officially announced by the NEA.
The NEA has the right to revoke the permits of any organization at any time in case of breaching the aforementioned rules.
The NEA has the right to invite the chairpersons of any foreign agencies or commissions related to elections, embassies, international and regional unions to observe the 2018 presidential elections.
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