Egypt: 2010 Elections Report on illegal campaigning and arrests of opposition

From 8 am to 10 am on Election Day, monitors from the Independent Coalition for Elections Observation reported the following: The Interior Ministry refused to legalize candidates’ proxies (representatives who enter the polling centers). Moreover, representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition candidates who did receive accreditation, were not allowed in the polling stations.  Meanwhile, supporters of the National Democratic Party (NDP) continued advertising for their candidates inside the polling centers, even though campaigning is forbidden on Election Day. 

Security forces attacked candidates and their representatives as well as media. Thugs were also used to attack candidates and their supporters.

Specific incidents include:

Proxies prevented from entering polls 

1- The Interior Ministry in the El Beheira district refused to issue proxies for El Tagamo candidate (labor/women’s quota) Aisha Abou Samada. It only issued one general proxy and requested her to apply for the issuance of partial proxies from each police station independently—a very difficult task given  that the governorate of Beheira contains 16 administrative divisions and 13 districts.  

2- In the district of Shoubra, the legalization of 100 proxies for the candidate Mohamed El Beltaguy was rejected and 48 of his representatives holding proxies legalized by the Notary Public were forced  out of the polling centers.  In the Nasr Experimental School (Shoubra El Balad), only NDP representatives were allowed to enter polling centers. 

3- In the district of Berket EL Sab' (El Beheira governorate), El Tagamo candidate Mohemd Shalaby complained to the Independent Coalition for Elections Observation that his proxies were rejected yesterday.

4- The Interior Ministry in the El Sharkeay district refused to grant proxies to Dr. Hamdi Allam, Muslim Brotherhood candidate in Menia El Kamh.

5- The representative of Mohmed Ismail, El Tagamo' candidate in Imbaba, was prevented from entering the polling centers. 

6- The representatives of the candidates of El Wafd Party, Muslim Brotherhood and independents were prevented from entering the polling stations at El Arish in the North Sinai governorate.

7- The representatives of Boushra El Samni,  Muslim Brotherhood candidate (professional/women’s quota seat) in Alexandria were prevented from entering into the polling stations.

8- The representatives of Omar El Shawarby (El Wafd Party), Ahmed Hussein, (Nasserite Party),and Ahmed Diab, (Muslim Brotherhood,) in Berket El Sab', were prevented from entering the polling centers.

Illegal campaigning on Election Day 

9- Ragab Helal Hemida, El Ghad candidate (professional) in Abdeen,  organized a car march for elections that began at 8 a.m. and continues at the time of publication of this report. 

10- The supporters of Abdel Salam El Mahgoob, the minister of administrative development and NDP candidate (professional) in El Raml district, gathered in front of the polls wearing marketing signs and distributing presents to voters. 

11- The representatives of Sameh Fahmi, minister of Petrol and NDP candidate in the district of Nasr city in Heliopolis advertised inside polling centers with signs mentioning his name, his photo, his electoral sign and his electoral number. IN addition, his supporters are giving voters 200 L.E., breakfast and tee-shirts. 

Attacks and arrests of opposition party candidates and supporters

12- Four supporters of Manal Abou EL Hassan, Muslim Brotherhood candidate (professional) in Nasr City, were arrested. Moreover, her registration number in the election documents has been changed from 16 to 25, confusing voters when they vote for her.

13- Mosatafa El Nashar, representative of Saad El Hosseini, Muslim Brotherhood candidate (professional) in El Mahala district, was attacked by security forces.  

14- The son and the nephew of Muslim Brotherhood professionals candidate Akram EL Shaer, were arrested at the El Dawahi police station in Port Said. 

15- The representatives of Mohamed El Beltagui, Muslim Brotherhood candidate (professional) in Shoubra first district, were attacked inside the polling center at El Sharkaweya Preparatory schools for girls. 

16- Mohamed Emasha, El Wafd Party candidate (labor) in Atmida district, was attacked with arms by the supporters of NDP candidate Khaled Shalaby.  

17- The president of the local council of Fakkous city was arrested yesterday for stuffing ballot boxes.

18- Fights broke out in Oleila village at the Sadat school in Meet Ghamr city, between supportes of independent candidate (professional) Mortada Mansour, and the supporters of NDP candidate (professional) Abdel Rahman Baraka. Fighters were using arms and one of Mansour's supporters, Mohamed Soliman, was wounded. 

19- An Al Jazeera reporter in Suez was arrested while covering a protest demonstration organised by the Muslim Brotherhood, other independent candidates, and the Tagamo Party in front of the Ministry of Interior building. He is still under custody at the time of this report’s release. preparation of this report.

20- Representatives of NDP candidate (professional) Heshmat Fahmi used arms to threaten the representatives of Muslim Brotherhood candidate (professional) Amr at a school in El Hadaek, Cairo. Representatives of Tarek El Awad, independent candidate (professional), were prevented from entering into the polls. Independent candidate (professional) Adel Abou Leila, has been attacked by thugs.

21- Voter Faten Ramadan Ali was attacked in Suez, by the son of NDP candidate (professional) Galal Mazen for objecting to the head of the polling center’s claims that she needed to choose 4 candidates in addition to the quota candidate.  

More information on the monitoring results of the three election phases (candidate registration, campaigning period, and election day) available here.