SIS: Large International Media Show Interest in Senate Elections

Elections for Egypt’s Senate kicked off Tuesday, August 11, with polling stations opening their doors for Egyptians until 9:00 pm.

Egyptians expats cast their ballots in the elections via mails on Sunday (August 9), and Monday (August 10).

Meanwhile, the electoral process was held at home on Tuesday, (August 11), and Wednesday (August 12).

A total of 787 candidates competed for seats in the 300-seat chamber.

Two-thirds of the members were elected via the inpidual candidacy and the closed party list systems, and the rest will be appointed by the president.

Only 100 of the total number of candidates will compete for the party list seats, with the remainder running for inpidual seats.

The law states that boycotters of a general poll can be fined an amount between LE300 and LE500.

Voters were required to wear face masks and to observe social distancing to help limit the spread of coronavirus. Moreover, polling stations throughout Egypt have been sanitized.

Egypt’s Armed Forces in cooperation with the Interior Ministry and the National Elections Authority (NEA) has taken all the necessary measures and procedures to secure the 2020 senate elections.

This comes within the Armed forces’ efforts to provide a safe environment for citizens to cast their ballots.

In case of re-election, elections will be held abroad on Sunday and Monday (September 6 and 7), and in Egypt on Tuesday and Wednesday (September 8 and 9).

The elections received great follow-up and attention from the international media in a way that exceeded expectations.

A report issued by the State Information Service (SIS) on Tuesday revealed that the foreign media correspondents in Egypt covered the electoral process in all governorates.

About 564 correspondents representing 163 international media organizations registered in the SIS Foreign Correspondents Press Center participated to cover the event.

At the same time, the State Information Service operation chamber, respectively, following up international media coverage of the elections in the polling stations, in the various governorates of Egypt that witnessed on Tuesday international media interest to cover the elections.

The report indicated that the foreign media correspondents performed their work freely without any hindrance.

The report added that the SIS operation room received about 17 complaints, which were limited to some photography difficulties at some polling stations in the governorates of Cairo and Giza as some correspondents have no permits issued to them by the National Elections Commission.

Moreover, some were not able to take pictures in the streets near the electoral bodies without obtaining the necessary permits. All these problems were solved in coordination with the concerned authorities.

SIS reported in a new report issued on Wednesday that the Chamber received 5 complaints, throughout the day, from some foreign media institutions about some of the difficulties they faced during the coverage, which was resolved in coordination with the concerned authorities.

The Chamber has not yet monitored any allegations regarding the integrity of the electoral process or the practice of any kind of violations in the polling stations.

The State Information Service (SIS) monitored a large number of what was published by the international media on the second day of the elections.

The report noted that stated that, for the second day in a row, international media correspondents covered the electoral process in all governorates of Egypt freely and without any obstacles, for the second day in a row.

The SIS report highlighted that most of the coverage concentrated on some topics, including:

- The first observation was regarding the calmness of the foreign media reporting the elections and publishing stories about it on the second day compared to the first day, in light of the stability of all matters related to the voting process and its smooth and regular running in all security, procedural and political aspects.

- The first observation was regarding the calmness of the foreign media reporting the elections and publishing stories about it on the second day compared to the first day, in light of the stability of all matters related to the voting process and its smooth and regular running in all security, procedural and political aspects.

- Remarkable participation of women and the elderly to cast their ballots amidst strict security and preventive measures to face the Coronavirus, for those in the electoral process, such as heads of polling stations, employees, candidate agents, and media representatives, displayed a high degree of awareness by wearing masks, with some polling stations witnessed a sterilization gate being built at their entrance.

-Voting lasted for two days and experienced a strong competition between the candidates for inpidual seats.

-The new Senate will improve political participation. However, the preparatory process that preceded the elections did not witness significant political activity. Analysts think that this is linked to the Coronavirus pandemic, lack of awareness about the new Senate, abstention, and the short period of electoral publicity.

- The National Election Commission announced that the voters in the sub-committees will not use phosphorous ink to prevent the spread of infection caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

-Some international newspapers assumed that the Senate will have legislative functions, however, they accepted that it would take years to regain the legislative powers of the Senate, as the requires restructure of the entire political system in the country and the adoption of a new constitution.

-The Egyptian government paid great attention to the elections and the formation of the Senate.

-Referring to security measures to protect Senate elections, measures to deploy forces around the country at major and critical locations, using modern security technology, and to achieve effective linkage between operational and follow-up rooms, as well as activating the role of checkpoints, ambushes, and fixed and mobile centers on all axes.

- The National Elections Authority declared that the ballot papers contain water and thermal markings to avoid forgery, and all security steps were taken to transfer them to the courts of the first instance in all the governorates and to hand them over to the polling stations after the election process.

- The polling stations, during its call for Senate elections, used social media advertising as one of the measures to the avoidance of gatherings following a study conducted by the National Elections Authority on various international experiences of democratic processes in light of the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

- The Ministry of Health and Population posted an "infographic" on its social media account detailing the medical insurance plan for the 2020 Senate elections, as part of the Ministry’s keenness to take all precautionary measures to protect the health of citizens in accordance with the county's measures to tackle the Coronavirus.

-The most prominent negative points reported by the international media, referring to the low turnout on the first day of the elections, in a number of polling stations, which was reported to be due to the high temperature of the weather and the lack of awareness among the public with the importance of the new council.

-Some media outlets also reported that the voters have limited awareness of the role and powers of the Senate. Reuters reporters saw a low turnout at least five polling stations in Cairo, but there was a long queue of voters at one of the stations that required the media to photograph it, according to the agency.

-Regarding the two deaths that occurred among the elderly voters before casting their ballots in Alexandria and Qalyubia governorates, the international media indicated that the cause of death was a sudden heart attack and a record of the two cases was edited.

-Noting that the legislation sets out criteria for selecting candidates for the slate system, where the slate shall include a proportion of women, people with disabilities, workers, and farmers. In addition, each list shall include three Christian candidates, two candidates from workers and farmers, one candidate with a disability, one from the Egyptians abroad, and at least one woman.

-Referring to the need for a second chamber of the Egyptian Parliament to set an end to the legislation problems, which have been recurring in the recent period, and that need an assisting council to carefully study the draft laws.

-Noting the significance of re-forming the Senate lies in considering it as an addition to the country's political landscape, and in ensuring that the Shura Council's mistakes will not be repeated. It is expected that the broad slate of the election is considered a "positive precedent".

-Some Arab newspapers reviewed the opinions of a number of Egyptian parliamentarians. They reported that participation in senate elections is an indicator that the Egyptian people support democracy and that given the Coronavirus pandemic, the state has continued to handle the democratic cycle successfully. They pointed out that the Senate is a real guide as it gives more space for more discussions and that the joint agenda of the House of Representatives and the Senate will provide support to the parliamentary life.