• FJP News
  • November 28, 2011
  • 6 minutes read

FJP Press Release No. (3), Parliamentary Elections, 2011

FJP Press Release No. (3), Parliamentary Elections, 2011

 Legislative Elections, 2011

 Press Release No. (3) 
 

The Egyptian people are still turning out heavily to polling stations, in this first parliamentary election after the revolution, prompting Egypt’s High Judicial Elections Commission (HJEC) to extend the voting until nine in the evening.
  

The following is a report on the latest developments:
 
 

First: Voters


Initial indications, up to this hour (7PM, Egyptian Time), show that turnout is nearly 20% of the total number of electorates expected to participate in this round. Highest turnouts were in the governorates of Kafr El-Sheikh and Damietta (30%). Those are followed by Assiut and Cairo. Meanwhile, participation in the Red Sea governorate was no more than 11%. We expect rates of participation to increase overall by the end of ballot on Tuesday evening. It was noted that there is a growing number of voters before the committees where the voting process has been slow: up to 12 minutes per citizen. We hope that the decision to extend voting is an incentive that will help increase the overall turnout percentage.
 
 

Second: Polling Stations


Until now, some polling stations are still closed, especially in the city of Helwan (??? polling stations) and Matareya (??? polling stations). There are various reasons for failure of those polling stations to open for the electorate, such as missing official seals on the ballot papers, the absence of some electoral list or individual candidate’s representatives, or a shortage of ballots allocated for each polling station. However, these issues do not represent an alarming rate in overall polling station activity. Also, those still have the opportunity, on Tuesday, to complete the procedures that enable them to engage in the electoral process.
 


Third: The Security Situation

The security situation remains stable. No tensions or violence were reported. This reflects the Egyptian people’s determination not to allow any parties or persons to spoil the election atmosphere.
 


Fourth: Media Performance

Journalistic performance of a number of Egyptian private TV channels and a number of Arabic channels needs a special pause for reflection. There are many false news stories that are circulated, regarding the FJP and the Democratic Alliance, and then turn out to be incorrect. We invite the media to take into account the credibility and objectivity of professional journalistic work and to pay heed to this democratic experience that needs support, not deliberate distortion.
 
Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni

Secretary-General of the Freedom and Justice Party