Egyptians will vote Tuesday in the Senate elections, after expats cast their votes through a courier method for the first time ever on Sunday.
Egypt’s National Elections Authority (NEA) Ibrahim Lashin urged all voters to participate in the elections as it is their “political right” and “national duty,” while adhering to the preventive measures imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Lashin emphasized that the Authority has taken all precautions in all polling stations to prevent the pandemic, provided that polling committees are sterilized before and after the electoral process on the same day.
To motivate young people to participate in the elections, Lashin described the youth as the “hope of Egypt,” indicating that their participation in the elections confirms their concern for their homeland and their future.
“I trust that the youth of Egypt will send a strong message to the whole world by participating heavily in the Senate elections.”
About 62 million Egyptian are entitled to vote during the elections of the Senate which will consist of 300 members, 100 of whom are elected by a closed list system, 100 elected by an individual system, and 100 appointed by the President.
Meanwhile, Counselor Bahaa Eddin Abu Shaqqa, who also chairs the parliamentary constitutional and legislative committee, warned in a press statement that authorities will impose a EGP500 ($31) fine for citizens who fail to vote in the Senate elections without a sufficient reason.
Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs Minister Nabila Makram announced on Sunday that expatriates participated in the elections, noting that voting through mail helped prevent gatherings inside or outside embassies and consulates, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Egyptian expats always play a significant role in constitutional rights, and they never hesitate to perform their national duty, added the Minister.
“Now we are going through another constitutional right for Egyptians abroad through which they can elect the members of the Egyptian Senate, which is important to form in the current period,” she said.
State Minister for Information Osama Haikal urged media and journalists covering the Senate elections to follow the controls set by the law on the Exercise of Political Rights, and affirmed that the Senate is one of the pillars of democratic and development process.
He indicated that media and journalists play a great role in supporting the electoral process to appear in the way befitting Egypt and its people.