Violations Mar Elections’ Run-offs in Several Provinces, FJP Press Release No. (14)

Violations Mar Elections’ Run-offs in Several Provinces,  FJP Press Release No. (14)

 On this first day of the run-off for the first stage of the Egyptian People’s Assembly elections 2011/2012, and until this moment, many abuses and provocations were committed by some of those competing with FJP candidates. Those abuses and provocations mostly violate the rules of fair competition we must commit to during the current phase.

 
The following is a summary of the main abuses and outrages witnessed during the first day of runoff, up to this moment:
1 – A number of candidates hired unknown bandits to pose as if campaigning, outside polling stations, in the name of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), filming them ‘red-handed’ with party propaganda that had been collected from the streets, methods often used by the defunct former regime.
2 – Certain anonymous persons distributed ‘Communiques’ in the name of a number of our candidates, including several ‘messages’ to the effect that we are coordinating with other candidates, or that we declared our support for candidates running for the seats that we do not have candidates for. All such ‘communiques’ have nothing to do with the FJP or its candidates. If we do coordinate with any parties or persons, we will announce that officially.
3 – In Alexandria, certain parties are spreading rumours that we have withdrawn our support for Counsellor Mahmoud al-Khodeiri. That is totally untrue. The FJP gives its full support to Counsellor Mahmoud al-Khodeiri for his proven honourable patriotic track-record.
4 – With regard to the electoral process, we have observed the following:

First:
 In polling stations number 73 to 78, in the sixth constituency (in Qasr Al-Neil police station) an army police officer refused all FJP representatives entry to said polling stations, claiming that their authorisations were not stamped by the armed forces, which is a contravention of the Political Rights Law and the HJEC instructions.

Second:
 In polling stations 267 and 268, based at Mahrouqi School in Bulaq Abul-Ela – sixth constituency (Qasr Al-Neil), the Counsellor/Chairman in charge insisted on personally unveiling the faces of fully-veiled female electorates himself, to confirm their identity, although a female employee was there for just that purpose. This angered female voters who gathered in front of the polling stations, for his insistence, despite attempts by some heads of neighbouring polling stations to dissuade him, to no avail.

Third:
 In polling stations 376 and 377 at the School of Carpenters, Fariskur, Damietta, representatives of the FJP candidate was expelled. Voting continued openly with no cover or kiosk, after the expulsion of the party representatives.

Fourth:
 In polling stations 63 and 164 in the seventh constituency, in Manshiet Nasser, at Sultan Barkooq School, the lady in charge expelled all representative, without justification. They tried to convince her that this was in contravention of the law; but she insisted on her position.