Supporters of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi campaigned heavily before entering the stage of electoral silence on Saturday, ahead of a three-day vote that starts Monday.
According to the law, electoral campaigning should stop 48 hours before polls open for voters to choose between Sisi and Ghad Party head Moussa Mostafa Moussa.
Head of the National Election Authority (NEA) counselor Lashin Ibrahim expressed confidence that Egyptians are aware of the importance of participating in the elections, especially amid the huge challenges facing the country and the exerted efforts to support stability.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ibrahim affirmed the integrity of the elections, noting that one of the major guarantors of the electoral process is the fact that NEA's board of directors is made up of judicial figures, and that the voting process will be held under their supervision.
He added that across Egypt there are 13,687 voting committees, which are monitored by 367 public commissions. The electoral process is supervised by 18,678 judges who are assisted by 103,000 employees.
Ibrahim stressed that NEA is fully prepared for the presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Asharq Al-Awsat monitored some activities carried out by Sisi’s supporters. For example, Yalla Sisi campaign posted on Facebook pictures of its latest event in order to urge a huge turnout.
The campaign also held its concluding conference on Friday, emphasizing that the world is watching and a historic stance is being made.
He said the voters will lay the cornerstone for democracy by benefiting from their constitutional right to choose a president.