Press Release
……………………………………………..
The Egyptian Coalition for Human Rights and Development issued on Monday, October 16, 2023, the fifth report on the presidential elections, which monitors the interactions and activities of potential candidates during the period of opening the nomination period and before announcing the preliminary lists by identifying:
- The National Authority for Elections and the decisions regulating the 2024 presidential elections.
- Activities of the potential presidential candidates.
- The field trips they conducted.
- The statements they made.
- Conferences and seminars that they organized.
- The ways in which they were able to collect agencies,
- Media and press meetings in which they participated.
- The challenges they faced during the process of collecting agencies, and the role of the National Authority for Elections in addressing them.
The report included a number of observations, including the following:
First: The National Authority was keen to respond to the demands of the National Dialogue, that the elections be under judicial supervision. Therefore, the election procedures had to be completed and their results announced before January 17, 2024, which is the date on which judicial supervision of the elections ends according to the 2014 Constitution.
Second: The National Authority for Elections announces the timetable at an appropriate time, with appropriate and specific timings for all that do not tolerate interpretation, and in a neutral manner for all, as is typical of its usual performance.
Third: Potential candidates conduct inspection tours of the real estate registration offices that are entrusted with documenting the powers of attorney of those potential candidates and mobilizing citizens to draw up the powers of attorney.
Fourth: The potential candidates hold several press conferences to present their vision for the elections and what has been achieved by completing their nomination papers.
Fifth: There is skepticism by some potential candidates about the nomination procedures and claims that their supporters were being prevented. This is what the National Authority for Elections investigated the content of these complaints and denied after the investigation.
Sixth: Some potential candidates resort to the National Authority for Elections to obtain exceptions not stipulated in the Constitution and the law in applying to the Authority with customary powers of attorney that are not documented in the real estate registration, which was rejected by the National Authority for Elections because it is illegal.
Seventh: Four candidates succeeded in completing their nomination papers and applying to the National Authority for Elections within the specified legal deadline.
Eighth: Failure of some candidates to complete their nomination papers because they did not complete a sufficient number of supporting powers of attorney.
Ninth: The General Assembly of the Constitution Party decided not to participate in the upcoming presidential elections, followed by a statement from the party leader respecting the decision of the General Assembly; I abide by it, and it withdraws my candidacy in the elections.
At the conclusion of the report, based on what was monitored, we reach the following:
- Potential candidates mobilize citizens to real estate registration offices to issue powers of attorney for them.
- Some potential candidates also made tours, and others organized meetings and conferences during which they gave speeches to present their vision and clarify their electoral plan.
- There were complaints from some potential candidates about restrictions on some of their supporters in order to issue proxies, preventing some of them, and their inability to complete the number of proxies that qualify them to submit nomination papers due to this restriction. However, we were surprised that some candidates submitted a number of proxies that far exceeded the required number.
- It is observed that the National Authority for Elections interacts with all candidates’ requests and investigates all complaints received and responds to them in a timely manner, which confirms the impartiality of the National Authority for Elections, its standing on the same level of all potential candidates, and its keenness to hold fair elections in accordance with what is stipulated in the Constitution and the law.
- One of the potential presidential candidates announced his intention to run for the presidency a long time ago, and since then he has been focusing his speeches on directing sharp criticism that amounted to incitement against the rival candidate, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as his performance was characterized by a focus on the person of the rival candidate.
Tantawi fought his electoral battle in the spirit of a representative of the opposition House of Representatives and not as a candidate to assume the presidency of the oldest central country in history.
