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1/6/2002
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Statement One
2005 Run-Offs Parliamentary Elections
Second Phase
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26/11/2005
The Parliamentary Elections High Commission stopped the run -offs parliamentary elections in three Constituencies (Al-Manshia in Alexandria, Al-Qanater in Qaliubia, Atsa in Fayoum) according to the verdict issued by the Administrative Judiciary Court which is considered a supreme decree.
In this respect, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) declared that this verdict is a positive improvement in respect for the state's verdicts, but EOHR also urging the commission to carry out the judiciary verdicts without delay.
On the other hand, EOHR observers monitored the violations happened in many Governorates, beginning with the violent acts between the representatives of National Democratic Party's (NDP), Muslim Brotherhood, and Independent candidates and ends with putting polling stations in Governorates (Al-Gharbia, Port Said, Fayoum, Al-Behira, Alexandria and Suez)under control, which caused delay in voting processes, also the electoral rolls hasn't been revised, in addition to repeating the same scenario of preventing EOHR observers from monitoring the elections, finally they beat and drive out the journalists.
The violations as follows:
1) Continuous violent acts
EOHR observers monitored the violence in so many constituencies, in which they stated that the candidates gathered trouble makers with sticks and cold steel, in which it gives a negative picture of Egypt's policy all over the world, and in this respect EOHR calls for stopping this phenomenon and the government must punish the candidates without taking any considerations.
The violence acts monitored by EOHR observers:
In Bandar Tanta Constituency, (Al-Shahid El Nagaar School) poll station in Al-Gharbia Governorate, representatives of Muslim Brothers' candidate (Mohamed El Azabawi) engaged with representatives of NDP candidate (Ahmed Shobair), in consequence, security forces spread out tear gas all over the place.
A citizen named (Ahmed Mohamed Abd Allah) who was inside to vote, declared the following 'while I was standing in the row waiting for my turn, security forces started beating the voters with sticks and then the leader of the forces (Mohamed Abu Zeid) ordered to spread out tear gas to separate the engagement between representatives of Al-Azabawy and Shobair, then I was injured by one of these bombs, I had a deep wound in my chest and I was burned in the lower part of my chin'
In Al-Dekhela and Borg Al-Arab Constituency, (Ibn Roshd School) poll station in Alexandria Governorate, representatives of the NDP candidate spread out gun fires before the voters outside the poll station; they also prevented the delegates of the competing candidates from getting inside, except the NDP ones.
In Qoos Constituency, (Al-Mofragia) poll station in Qena Governorate, security forces arrested the representatives of the independent candidate (Mohamed Fahmy Khabeer), (syndic professions) before the poll station; the victims are 'Ahmed Hassan Nour, Fathy Mahmoud Ibrahim, Ghareeb Ahmed Soliman, and Ahmed Shaaban Abd Allah'.
On Thursday (24/11/2005), In Kafr Shokr Constituency held in Al-Qalyoubia Governorate, the representatives of Muslim Brothers and Al-Tagammu Party candidate engaged in a fight using cold steel (knifes and chains) because Muslim Brothers' delegate lay siege to the residence of Al-Tagammu leader Khaled Mohy El Din. As a result, four persons were injured, one of the injured is in a critical state, and he is lying now in Kafr Shokr Public Hospital.
2) Polling stations were under control of security forces
In previous reports, EOHR called for security forces' positive interaction to curb violence and to protect poll stations, judges and voters, and take severe acts against trouble makers who use cold steel to threaten innocent voters. On the contrary, EOHR observers monitored violations held by security forces themselves, in which they put (under their control) the following poll stations; (Al-Arabat School attached to Tanta Constituency in (Al-Gharbia Governorate), Batn Herit and Abu Gensho attached to Abshoway Constituency in (Fayoum Governorate), Om Al-Mohsineen School, Ali El Garim School, The Secondary School for Girls, Om Al-Masreen School, Zaghloul Secondary School, New Rashid School, Sidy Omar School attached to constituency eight (Edko and Rashid) in [Behira Governorate], in addition to poll stations attached to Wady El Natron Constituency (13) in Behira Governorate, Port Tawfiq Primary School in constituency one, situated in Suez police station in (Suez Canal Governorate), Bahethat Al-Badya School in Gharbal Constituency, and finally, Saad Zaghloul and Gamal Abdel Nasser Schools , Al-Arab and Al-Dowahy Constituency in Port Said Governorate. The besieging security forces arrested the representatives of Muslim Brotherhood candidate (Akram Al-sha'r) in front of (Gamal Abdel Nasser poll station); they were twenty-two including the candidate's son (Mohamed Akram El Sha'r).
3) The Electoral rolls weren't revised or checked
EOHR observers found out many defaults in the rolls; names of voters were repeated, names of dead people or no voters' names at all, in addition to forgery cases related to adding or deleting names from the rolls.
Here are some of the forgery cases:
The observers monitored many defaults in the rolls of poll station 83, in the tenth Constituency, held in Qena Governorate. In which in the second phase elections, a woman voter called (Samia Yassin Shaker) voted in the tenth Constituency, while in the run offs, she found out that her name was changed to (Samia Yassin), though she couldn't vote at all.
In Port Said Governorate, Al-Arab and Al-Dowahy Constituency witnessed no rolls outside Al-Qabouty poll stations, thought the voters couldn't vote. In Behira Governorate, Al-Natroun (13) Constituency witnessed wangling in the rolls both inside and outside the poll stations because of the inaccuracy of the judges.
On this domain, EOHR calls for changing the recent electoral rolls, in which the voters who don't have new ID cards will not be able to vote because the government haven't finished yet the project since 2003, the ID card must determine (Date of Birth, Location, and work location).
4) The repeated scenario of depriving the observers from doing their job
The situation of depriving EOHR observers from monitoring the elections is considered a violation to the decree of the Parliamentary Elections High Commission and the verdict of the Administrative Judiciary Court which gave human rights organizations the right to observe the election. In this context, Al-Dekhela and Borg El Arab Constituency in Alexandria Governorate, the poll station (Gheith Gomaa School) witnessed violations against EOHR observer (Mokhtar Abdel Hamid), in which he was prevented from getting inside. During an officer send for him and demanded the observatory ID card, then the trouble makers snatched and damaged his ID card in front of the officer who discarded the incident, and he told him that he won't be able to get inside without the licence. The same scenario is also repeated in poll station 135, Nagaa Hamady Constituency in Qena Governorate.
As a result, EOHR confirms again civil society organizations' right to monitor the electoral process, and also the candidates' representatives must be free to attend all electoral phases' processes, in which these rights are guaranteed by the verdicts of the Administrative Judiciary Court and the decrees of the Parliamentary Elections High Commission.
5) Votes in publicity
In Constituency (7) held in Esna Police Station, poll stations (42, 10, Al-Abayda Village) witnessed citizens voting in publicity before the judge, and the same process is repeated in Constituency (9) held in Al-Raesia police station and in Qouazem poll station (133) in Qous Constituency.
6) Assaults against media field reporters
In (Bandar Tanta) Constituency in Al-Gharbia Governorate, Mohamed Taha, a correspondent in the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) was beaten by an officer before (Al-Shahid Al-Naggar School) poll station.
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