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Africa North | |||||
Egypt's elections go smoothly amid protests | |||||
2011-11-30 | |||||
CAIRO -- People waited in lines that ran hundreds of yards outside polling stations surrounded by police and soldiers in what many Egyptians regarded as the first free elections in decades. Men and women were in separate lines so long authorities extended voting by two hours. But overall the voting was smooth, election monitors said. Previous elections were Monday's elections are for the lower house of parliament and will be held in three rounds over the next two months. But not all were pleased.
Many feared violence would break out at polling stations, but the mood was generally subdued. Polls indicated that the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, is expected to win the most sizable portion of seats in parliament of any party.
The electoral law was modified significantly leading up to elections in a supposed attempt to ensure that
Problems were already seen Monday. Some polls opened an hour or two late. Additionally, the Egyptian Coalition for Electoral Observation documented violations in the form of non-stamped ballot papers, and thuggish acts that in one case prevented voters from reaching the polls. Some political parties boycotted the election, claiming that under military rule, elections will be illegitimate. "We cannot get a clean election while Mubarak's army generals are still in charge," said Hossam al Hamalawy, a member of both the Democratic Workers Party and the Revolutionary Socialists group, which are boycotting the elections. "Police who are supposed to be securing the ballot boxes are the same ones who have been murdering us for the last days, months and years." | |||||
Posted by:Steve White |
#1 On the eve of this happy occasion, we in Israel have a message for the Great Egyptian People. |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-11-30 01:25 |