Egyptians headed to the polls for the third day on Wednesday to cast their ballots and choose between only two rival candidates: former army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi. The turnout remains low so far, despite ongoing attempts by the media, state officials and both contenders' campaigns urging citizens to vote.
In an unforeseen move, the Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) announced late on the second day of elections, Tuesday, that voting would be extended by one more day, much to the surprise of the Egyptian public and to the dismay of the two candidates, as declared by their respective campaigns to the PEC, which rejected their objections.
By the end of the first day of voting, Monday 26 May, and as a result of the unexpectedly low voter turnout observed across the country, Tuesday 27 May was declared a holiday to facilitate and encourage voting.
Unlike Tuesday, however, Wednesday is a normal working day.
The PEC announced it will enforce Article 47 of the election law which fines eligible voters LE500 ($70) if they fail to cast their ballots without presenting an excuse.
The first two days of voting were quieter and more peaceful than many elections have been in Egypt over the past few years. One IED exploded on Monday near a polling station in Fayoum but led to no injuries, while another exploded on Tuesday in Heliopolis' Roxy Square, leaving one citizen with minor injuries.
The first day of voting saw some isolated clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, who argue the election is illegitimate. Police dispersed protests in Cairo, Alexandria and Minya, among other places. The second day, however, sailed by free of clashes.
Egypt's National Council for Human Rights received 216 complaints on the first day of voting, most having taken place in Port Said, Kafr El-Sheikh, Suez, Beni Suef and Sohag. The semi-governmental organisation said it reported 151 complaints to the PEC.
Sabahi's campaign also filed official complaints reporting a sizable number of violations.
Facebook and Twitter users on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning unleashed an avalanche of comments – ranging in tone between fury and humour – about the surprise measures being taken to boost voter turnout.
Calls also emerged from numerous Sabahi backers beseeching him to pull out of the elections.
Addressing the Egyptian public, the country's youth and his campaign team, Sabahi said in a statement, however, that his sense of "duty and responsibility" towards the country compel him to stay in the race.
"In order to seize our rights, there is no alternative but to participate, confront, expose and defeat such practices, not succumb to them," Sabahi declared in his statement, holding the PEC responsible for the "integrity and transparency" of the vote.
Source/Fuente: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/102369/Egypt/Politics-/Thir...
