Election Irregularity Report, 8/9
13/9 Some official reports from the monitoring NGO's are published. The informatio in the following blog entries should be appended to the list below:
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-lack-of-impartiality.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-lack-of-transparency.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-presence-of-observers.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-abuse-of-public.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-more-irregularities.html
Updated continuously. Throughout Egypt, incidents of fierce campaigning mainly for the incumbent Mubarak inside the polling stations. + In Mynia and Kafr-Sheikh, election officials at the polling centers partook in the campaigning by publicly supporting Mubarak. + In Beni Sueif, security officials violated the secrecy of voting and + intimidated individuals who voted against Mubarak. + Security officials destroyed ballots that were not in favor of Mubarak, and then + themselves filled out and cast a number of ballots in favor of Mubarak. + Unofficial voting cards being handed to voters by NDP with the name of the voter and marked for Mubarak. + Irregularities and inaccuracies with the voters’ lists; allowing for both the + ineligible voters to cast a vote and + denying the right to vote for eligible voters. + In Sohag, Assuit and Alexandria incidents where people were allowed to vote without proper identification. + A significant number of multiple voting cases have also been reported. + In El-Seka-El-Hadid non-NDP voters’ names on the voter lists have been altered. + In Bahira, observers recorded that the voter lists contain names of children and deceased. + In the Assuit governorate, observers reported “family” voting, where men were allowed to vote for their wives. + In Ezbekiyya observers reported that NDP activists were giving voters 50LE to 100LE and then accompanying them inside the polling station to ensure they voted for Mubarak. ICEM observers have audio and visual recording of this violation. + Several government employees told ICEM observers that they were intimidated by NDP activists, and that + if they do not vote for Mubarak they will face repercussions in terms of their employment. + Voters were also accompanied by NDP activists inside the polling station. + In Nasr City and Kafr al-Sheikh, observers reported that voting booths did not provide for the secrecy of the vote. + Judges told voters that they need to see for whom the voters are voting. + A significant number of polling stations throughout Egypt remained unequipped with the proper phosphoric ink. +A number of the polling stations used ink that was easily removable. + Opportunities for people to cast their ballots more then once. + Observers in rural areas reported that judges were not assigned to a number of polling stations. + Reported a level of disorganization and lack of order at the polling stations. + In all but a few of the polling centers were not at all identified as polling facilities. // ICEM 8/9. + Leading opposition candidate Ayman Nour of the Ghad Party estimated that 15-20 per cent of voters cast their ballots in rural areas with only 3-5 per cent voting in major cities. The national election authority reported a strong turnout. + Widespread irregularities at the polls, + including vote-buying, + election day campaigning, + and the mass bussing of government workers. + Wafd election monitors were prevented from reaching polling stations in several areas and + that 500 voters in Ismaliya were allowed to vote without providing the required pink election cards. + The president’s ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) were the only monitors present at most polling stations. + Voters were turned away because their names did not appear on + outdated electoral rolls, while there were + reports of voters having to cast their ballots in public as NDP officials looked on. + Opposition leader Nour displayed an envelope containing an Egyptian 20 pound note and a Mubarak voting card, which he claimed was distributed by a Cairo city official. + Vote-buying in which food and money were used as bribes. + The indelible ink used to mark the hands of those who had voted was easily washed off + repeat voting by supporters of the president. + Bribery and the widespread + intimidation of voters, including the + coercion of government workers to vote for Mubarak. + A leading Egypt television news anchor had been turned away from her neighborhood polling station for not having a valid voting card. She was told she would only be able to receive a card in November. //ISN 9/9. Unlike in past parliamentary votes and presidential referendums, results were not announced at local polling stations. Instead, counts have been funneled to a central tabulation office. // Boston Globe 9/9. + In Qalyubeya province, the Wafd Party were prevented from monitoring elections in at least three villages. State-owned buses brought to the polls civil servants who were ordered to vote for the NDP candidate. + In Marsa Matruh province, supporters of the NDP were able to vote more than once in several polling stations and without registration cards. + In Fayyum, registration lists included deceased people and several polling stations did not have curtains to allow voters to mark their ballots in private. + In Port-Said, the secretary general of the governorate assembled all his civil servant at eleven o'clock in the morning and ordered them to vote for the NDP candidate. + In Sohaj province in Upper Egypt, several polling stations did not mark voters' fingers with the phosphoric ink meant to identify voters and prevent them from casting ballots at multiple polling places. + In Damietta, NDP supporters were assembled and taken to the city of Port-Said to vote for a second time. //Wash. Inst. 8/9. + Some election observers were beaten or harassed, and voters coerced, bribed and denied privacy to fill out their ballots. + A clutch of plainclothes and uniformed police officers at the gate turned Mahalawy away. He wasn't even allowed to vote. //SF Gate 8/9. + One official of Hosni Mubarak's party, the National Democratic Party, was in fact videotaping people as they're casting their vote. + There are reports that there are food parcels being offered to people as they turned up to cast their vote, even a lottery being on offer where the first prize is a trip to Mecca. // ABC.Net. + There were those who didn’t want to vote but did only to escape paying + a fine of 100 Egyptian pounds (US$17.30) for not doing so.+ Many boycotters said they were + scared of getting into trouble if they explained why they had not voted. + “Are you going to get us imprisoned?” //AP/Khaleej Times 8/9. + Independent monitors reported + a litany of irregularities at polling stations, + complaining they had been beaten, + apprehended and + interrogated by security services in several places. + Several rights groups said Mubarak supporters actively campaigned throughout the day and reported that + some had voted on behalf of other people. + Somebody had already voted for him and reported on places where + indelible ink was not being used, or where + no identity papers were being requested.//The Age 8/9. + The Egyptian government refused to allow international observers to monitor the polls and + its electoral commission succeeded in barring independent Egyptian groups from checking on them. // IHT 9/9. Independent monitors say there were many problems on voting day, including voter intimidation by supporters of the ruling party, vote buying, abuse of government resources by the ruling party, and cases of outright fraud. //VOA 8/9. + People across the country were pressured, enticed or instructed to vote for Mubarak. + In Cairo and Alexandria, supporters of the ruling National Democratic Party promised food or money to poor people if they voted for Mubarak, voters said. + Ruling party officials were allowed into some polling stations in Alexandria and forced voters to choose Mubarak. + In Beni Suef, party officials threatened to cut some people's monthly pensions if they didn't vote for the president + A party official in a poor Cairo neighborhood gave women nearly $10 each to vote for Mubarak. + In Luxor, 300 miles from Cairo a university student said a poll worker told him he had to vote for Mubarak. //AP 8/9. + Independent monitors reported cases of voter manipulation in Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria. + Government workers and older voters were herded to balloting stations. + Campaign workers reported poorer voters were rounded up to vote for Mubarak and were given food as a reward. + Voters from Mubarak's party were allowed to vote with less documentation--identification cards rather than official registration papers. + Mubarak's National Democratic Party manned all 10,000 polling stations with party faithful’. + People, older people, being told how to vote. + People say they were forced to vote. + People, in poor areas, promised money to fix their houses. + People told, if they didn't vote for Mubarak, they wouldn't get their social salaries (pensions). // Chicago Tribune 8/9. + More than 1 000 customs employees voted collectively for Mubarak in the Alexandria governorate. + The judge manning the Sadat school polling station in the southern town of Kaws left his post. + Delegates from Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) stuffed the ballot box with 470 votes for Mubarak. + NDP delegates threatened to have voters arrested and their social benefits cut if they did not cast their ballot for Mubarak in the southern governorate of Beni Sueif. + In Al-Buhayra area, public transport was used to ship villagers to polling stations. They were urged to vote for Mubarak. + In the Mediterranean province of Port Said, NDP officials exercised pressure on voters inside polling stations. + In Cairo's Sayyeda Sakina school, an electoral official ticked the Mubarak box on the ballot for several illiterate voters. + In Cairo's Nasr City area, people carrying up-to-date voters cards were denied the right to vote because they did not produce an NDP card. + Several polling stations across the country were not equipped with curtains and voters had to make their choice under the supervision of NDP delegates. + Mubarak supporters actively campaigned all day inside and outside polling stations across the country. + Pictures of Mubarak were even plastered on the walls inside some polling stations. + Security forces and intelligence forces were seen inside polling stations where they had not been invited by the judge. + Civil servants employed by the water authority were promised a free subscription at the administration's club if they voted for Mubarak. + The indelible ink in which voters were due to dip their finger to prevent double-voting was missing from several polling stations. // Softpedia 8/9. + Mubarak supporters actively campaigned throughout the day. + Some had voted on behalf of other people. Forced voting, + paid voters, + unmanned polling stations, + missing indelible ink and + the use of public transport to ferry voters to polling stations. // AFP 8/9. + Irregularities including ballot stuffing, + vote buying, + intimidation, + abuse of government vehicles and + discrimination in favor of Mubarak. + Large manipulation of the voting process. + The National Democratic Party (NDP) had panicked in the middle of the day over the low turnout, and resorted to practices common in previous Egyptian elections. // Reuters 8/9. + Men in plainclothes broke up a protest against President Hosni Mubarak, + beating up demonstrators who called on Egyptians to boycott the election. // Reuters 7/9. + Independent voting monitors were "beaten, + apprehended and + interrogated," especially in southern Egypt. + Poll workers wore badges bearing Mubarak's image, + presidential posters were pasted up + some voters were given a booth number scribbled on a small piece of paper bearing Mubarak's campaign portrait. + Numerous voters complained of not being able to find their names on registration lists and having to travel from one station to another in order to find the right box in which to drop their ballot. + Some 600 voters who were usually registered at a primary school in the town could not find their names on the list. + Some registration lists appeared to be outdated. + Delegates from some of the 10 parties complained of discrepancies between voter registration lists they were handed and those used by the judges.+ Widespread confusion as judges expelled party delegates from polling stations, thus discouraging many voters from casting their ballot.+ Even Mubarak's National Democratic Party lodged an official complaint over the proceedings. + Judges are allowing voters in one by one, even if there are four or five booths inside." + Long lines in front of polling stations that "+ pushed voters to leave before having voted. + The opposition Kefaya (Enough) movement, which called on its supporters to boycott the vote, estimated that if each of the 600 to 700 voters signed up on average in each polling station "takes five minutes to vote, the operation will last 50 hours. // AFP 8/9. + Campaigning is still taking place inside the polling booths - campaigning should have stopped on Monday + some of the booths lacked privacy for voters + In any polling booth, voters fill in the ballot behind a curtain, however some booths across the country do not have this. + Voters have to fill in the ballots in front of officials. + NDP supporters were allowed to vote without voting cards. This occurred in the governorates of Port Said, Ismailiya, al-Beheira and Marsa Matrouh. //IRIN 7/9. + "The master, God bless him, took the ballot from me and told me it is not necessary to vote, as he is going to do that for me." — farmer Hassan Mohammed Sabaq, referring to a poll official, after leaving a polling station in Luxor. // AP 7/9.
Contribute to this report - send URL via e-mail ritzy2ritzyATyahooDOTcom or drop a note in this entry's comment forum. The list is growing hour by hour -- contribute to this report.
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-lack-of-impartiality.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-lack-of-transparency.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-presence-of-observers.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-abuse-of-public.html
http://missmabrouk.blogspot.com/2005/09/election-more-irregularities.html
Updated continuously. Throughout Egypt, incidents of fierce campaigning mainly for the incumbent Mubarak inside the polling stations. + In Mynia and Kafr-Sheikh, election officials at the polling centers partook in the campaigning by publicly supporting Mubarak. + In Beni Sueif, security officials violated the secrecy of voting and + intimidated individuals who voted against Mubarak. + Security officials destroyed ballots that were not in favor of Mubarak, and then + themselves filled out and cast a number of ballots in favor of Mubarak. + Unofficial voting cards being handed to voters by NDP with the name of the voter and marked for Mubarak. + Irregularities and inaccuracies with the voters’ lists; allowing for both the + ineligible voters to cast a vote and + denying the right to vote for eligible voters. + In Sohag, Assuit and Alexandria incidents where people were allowed to vote without proper identification. + A significant number of multiple voting cases have also been reported. + In El-Seka-El-Hadid non-NDP voters’ names on the voter lists have been altered. + In Bahira, observers recorded that the voter lists contain names of children and deceased. + In the Assuit governorate, observers reported “family” voting, where men were allowed to vote for their wives. + In Ezbekiyya observers reported that NDP activists were giving voters 50LE to 100LE and then accompanying them inside the polling station to ensure they voted for Mubarak. ICEM observers have audio and visual recording of this violation. + Several government employees told ICEM observers that they were intimidated by NDP activists, and that + if they do not vote for Mubarak they will face repercussions in terms of their employment. + Voters were also accompanied by NDP activists inside the polling station. + In Nasr City and Kafr al-Sheikh, observers reported that voting booths did not provide for the secrecy of the vote. + Judges told voters that they need to see for whom the voters are voting. + A significant number of polling stations throughout Egypt remained unequipped with the proper phosphoric ink. +A number of the polling stations used ink that was easily removable. + Opportunities for people to cast their ballots more then once. + Observers in rural areas reported that judges were not assigned to a number of polling stations. + Reported a level of disorganization and lack of order at the polling stations. + In all but a few of the polling centers were not at all identified as polling facilities. // ICEM 8/9. + Leading opposition candidate Ayman Nour of the Ghad Party estimated that 15-20 per cent of voters cast their ballots in rural areas with only 3-5 per cent voting in major cities. The national election authority reported a strong turnout. + Widespread irregularities at the polls, + including vote-buying, + election day campaigning, + and the mass bussing of government workers. + Wafd election monitors were prevented from reaching polling stations in several areas and + that 500 voters in Ismaliya were allowed to vote without providing the required pink election cards. + The president’s ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) were the only monitors present at most polling stations. + Voters were turned away because their names did not appear on + outdated electoral rolls, while there were + reports of voters having to cast their ballots in public as NDP officials looked on. + Opposition leader Nour displayed an envelope containing an Egyptian 20 pound note and a Mubarak voting card, which he claimed was distributed by a Cairo city official. + Vote-buying in which food and money were used as bribes. + The indelible ink used to mark the hands of those who had voted was easily washed off + repeat voting by supporters of the president. + Bribery and the widespread + intimidation of voters, including the + coercion of government workers to vote for Mubarak. + A leading Egypt television news anchor had been turned away from her neighborhood polling station for not having a valid voting card. She was told she would only be able to receive a card in November. //ISN 9/9. Unlike in past parliamentary votes and presidential referendums, results were not announced at local polling stations. Instead, counts have been funneled to a central tabulation office. // Boston Globe 9/9. + In Qalyubeya province, the Wafd Party were prevented from monitoring elections in at least three villages. State-owned buses brought to the polls civil servants who were ordered to vote for the NDP candidate. + In Marsa Matruh province, supporters of the NDP were able to vote more than once in several polling stations and without registration cards. + In Fayyum, registration lists included deceased people and several polling stations did not have curtains to allow voters to mark their ballots in private. + In Port-Said, the secretary general of the governorate assembled all his civil servant at eleven o'clock in the morning and ordered them to vote for the NDP candidate. + In Sohaj province in Upper Egypt, several polling stations did not mark voters' fingers with the phosphoric ink meant to identify voters and prevent them from casting ballots at multiple polling places. + In Damietta, NDP supporters were assembled and taken to the city of Port-Said to vote for a second time. //Wash. Inst. 8/9. + Some election observers were beaten or harassed, and voters coerced, bribed and denied privacy to fill out their ballots. + A clutch of plainclothes and uniformed police officers at the gate turned Mahalawy away. He wasn't even allowed to vote. //SF Gate 8/9. + One official of Hosni Mubarak's party, the National Democratic Party, was in fact videotaping people as they're casting their vote. + There are reports that there are food parcels being offered to people as they turned up to cast their vote, even a lottery being on offer where the first prize is a trip to Mecca. // ABC.Net. + There were those who didn’t want to vote but did only to escape paying + a fine of 100 Egyptian pounds (US$17.30) for not doing so.+ Many boycotters said they were + scared of getting into trouble if they explained why they had not voted. + “Are you going to get us imprisoned?” //AP/Khaleej Times 8/9. + Independent monitors reported + a litany of irregularities at polling stations, + complaining they had been beaten, + apprehended and + interrogated by security services in several places. + Several rights groups said Mubarak supporters actively campaigned throughout the day and reported that + some had voted on behalf of other people. + Somebody had already voted for him and reported on places where + indelible ink was not being used, or where + no identity papers were being requested.//The Age 8/9. + The Egyptian government refused to allow international observers to monitor the polls and + its electoral commission succeeded in barring independent Egyptian groups from checking on them. // IHT 9/9. Independent monitors say there were many problems on voting day, including voter intimidation by supporters of the ruling party, vote buying, abuse of government resources by the ruling party, and cases of outright fraud. //VOA 8/9. + People across the country were pressured, enticed or instructed to vote for Mubarak. + In Cairo and Alexandria, supporters of the ruling National Democratic Party promised food or money to poor people if they voted for Mubarak, voters said. + Ruling party officials were allowed into some polling stations in Alexandria and forced voters to choose Mubarak. + In Beni Suef, party officials threatened to cut some people's monthly pensions if they didn't vote for the president + A party official in a poor Cairo neighborhood gave women nearly $10 each to vote for Mubarak. + In Luxor, 300 miles from Cairo a university student said a poll worker told him he had to vote for Mubarak. //AP 8/9. + Independent monitors reported cases of voter manipulation in Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria. + Government workers and older voters were herded to balloting stations. + Campaign workers reported poorer voters were rounded up to vote for Mubarak and were given food as a reward. + Voters from Mubarak's party were allowed to vote with less documentation--identification cards rather than official registration papers. + Mubarak's National Democratic Party manned all 10,000 polling stations with party faithful’. + People, older people, being told how to vote. + People say they were forced to vote. + People, in poor areas, promised money to fix their houses. + People told, if they didn't vote for Mubarak, they wouldn't get their social salaries (pensions). // Chicago Tribune 8/9. + More than 1 000 customs employees voted collectively for Mubarak in the Alexandria governorate. + The judge manning the Sadat school polling station in the southern town of Kaws left his post. + Delegates from Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) stuffed the ballot box with 470 votes for Mubarak. + NDP delegates threatened to have voters arrested and their social benefits cut if they did not cast their ballot for Mubarak in the southern governorate of Beni Sueif. + In Al-Buhayra area, public transport was used to ship villagers to polling stations. They were urged to vote for Mubarak. + In the Mediterranean province of Port Said, NDP officials exercised pressure on voters inside polling stations. + In Cairo's Sayyeda Sakina school, an electoral official ticked the Mubarak box on the ballot for several illiterate voters. + In Cairo's Nasr City area, people carrying up-to-date voters cards were denied the right to vote because they did not produce an NDP card. + Several polling stations across the country were not equipped with curtains and voters had to make their choice under the supervision of NDP delegates. + Mubarak supporters actively campaigned all day inside and outside polling stations across the country. + Pictures of Mubarak were even plastered on the walls inside some polling stations. + Security forces and intelligence forces were seen inside polling stations where they had not been invited by the judge. + Civil servants employed by the water authority were promised a free subscription at the administration's club if they voted for Mubarak. + The indelible ink in which voters were due to dip their finger to prevent double-voting was missing from several polling stations. // Softpedia 8/9. + Mubarak supporters actively campaigned throughout the day. + Some had voted on behalf of other people. Forced voting, + paid voters, + unmanned polling stations, + missing indelible ink and + the use of public transport to ferry voters to polling stations. // AFP 8/9. + Irregularities including ballot stuffing, + vote buying, + intimidation, + abuse of government vehicles and + discrimination in favor of Mubarak. + Large manipulation of the voting process. + The National Democratic Party (NDP) had panicked in the middle of the day over the low turnout, and resorted to practices common in previous Egyptian elections. // Reuters 8/9. + Men in plainclothes broke up a protest against President Hosni Mubarak, + beating up demonstrators who called on Egyptians to boycott the election. // Reuters 7/9. + Independent voting monitors were "beaten, + apprehended and + interrogated," especially in southern Egypt. + Poll workers wore badges bearing Mubarak's image, + presidential posters were pasted up + some voters were given a booth number scribbled on a small piece of paper bearing Mubarak's campaign portrait. + Numerous voters complained of not being able to find their names on registration lists and having to travel from one station to another in order to find the right box in which to drop their ballot. + Some 600 voters who were usually registered at a primary school in the town could not find their names on the list. + Some registration lists appeared to be outdated. + Delegates from some of the 10 parties complained of discrepancies between voter registration lists they were handed and those used by the judges.+ Widespread confusion as judges expelled party delegates from polling stations, thus discouraging many voters from casting their ballot.+ Even Mubarak's National Democratic Party lodged an official complaint over the proceedings. + Judges are allowing voters in one by one, even if there are four or five booths inside." + Long lines in front of polling stations that "+ pushed voters to leave before having voted. + The opposition Kefaya (Enough) movement, which called on its supporters to boycott the vote, estimated that if each of the 600 to 700 voters signed up on average in each polling station "takes five minutes to vote, the operation will last 50 hours. // AFP 8/9. + Campaigning is still taking place inside the polling booths - campaigning should have stopped on Monday + some of the booths lacked privacy for voters + In any polling booth, voters fill in the ballot behind a curtain, however some booths across the country do not have this. + Voters have to fill in the ballots in front of officials. + NDP supporters were allowed to vote without voting cards. This occurred in the governorates of Port Said, Ismailiya, al-Beheira and Marsa Matrouh. //IRIN 7/9. + "The master, God bless him, took the ballot from me and told me it is not necessary to vote, as he is going to do that for me." — farmer Hassan Mohammed Sabaq, referring to a poll official, after leaving a polling station in Luxor. // AP 7/9.
Contribute to this report - send URL via e-mail ritzy2ritzyATyahooDOTcom or drop a note in this entry's comment forum. The list is growing hour by hour -- contribute to this report.
posted by ritzy @ 6:20 pm
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