WATANI International
30 May 2010
Out of a total of 576 candidates who had listed their names in the upcoming mid-term elections of the Shura Council, some 456 will contest 88 seats in 67 constituencies in Egypt’s various governorates next June. Already, 13 candidates have won seats uncontested. Others have either withdrawn their candidacy or were denied the chance to run because of legal objections or incomplete documents. The final list includes 128 party-based members representing 13 political parties. The remaining stand as independents.
It is required by law that at least half the candidates must be agricultural or industrial labourers.
There are 364 seats in the Shura Council, the upper house of the Egyptian parliament. Two thirds of the members (176) are elected for six year terms; half of them (88) elected every three years. The remaining 88 are appointed by the president.
Coptic candidates
Ten opposition parties are fielding 45 candidates, with the number of opposition candidates increasing by nine since the last elections in 2007.
The membership of 44 appointed members was terminated; from among them eight Copts out of a total of11 Coptic Shura members.
The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has put up 92 candidates, 35 of whom are new members. It listed three Coptic nominees: Eid Labib (Mallawi and Deir Abu Mawwas); Anwar Bekheet (Alexandria); and Atef Hefzallah Khella (Assiut). Hoda al-Tablawi (Kafr al-Sheikh) is the NDP’s only woman candidate. Some 14 Copts have nominated themselves as independents.
The Cairo independent daily al-Masry al-Youm said the fielding of the Coptic candidates by the NDP resulted in a fevered climate since they were fielded in constituencies known to be Islamist strongholds. But many activists considered the move a positive step on the part of the NDP.
Intissar Nessim, chairman of the Cairo Court of Appeals and president of the Higher Election Commission (HEC), has warned candidates against using slogans or symbols that may affect citizenship rights and principles of equality and social solidarity; or propagating discriminatory material regarding gender or religion. It is also prohibited to receive any funds from foreign sources to spend on propaganda or to be used to elect a specific person or to promote boycott of the elections.
Religious slogans
Even though Mr Nessim stressed the importance of not using any religious slogans, candidates of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, who are running as independents, said they would use their famous motto “Islam is the answer”.
The number of MB members listed has reached 14 candidates, three of whom are members of the People’s Assembly, the lower house of Egypt’s Parliament. Essam al-Erian of the MB said that their parliamentary immunity allowed them to escape the recent crackdown by the government.
Mr Nessim said that the elections would be held under judicial supervision. More than 600 judges will supervise the elections, while 28 rights organisations have asked to monitor the elections.
“Egyptian citizens who are outside Egypt must go to the Egyptian Embassy in their host country to apply for a voting card. On returning to Egypt they can vote in their original constituencies,” Mr Nessim said. He pointed out that NGOs working within the official legal frame were allowed to monitor the elections with the coordination of the National Council for Human Rights.