(AFP PHOTO/MAHMOUD KHALED)
A member of the electoral campaign of Nasserist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy was arrested on Monday while taking a photo of a violation taking place inside an Alexandria polling station during the first day of elections.
Voting began on Monday and is scheduled to end Tuesday at 10pm, and will determine the next president in a poll between former Defence Minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Sabahy, with the former widely expected to win.
Sabahy’s campaign frequently reported violations it spotted during the first day of elections. The arrest of its member, Mohamed Shafiq, was among those violations.
According to a statement released by the campaign, Shafiq was assaulted then detained inside a military armoured vehicle before being taken to Al-Montazah Police Station. The campaign member was accused of assaulting security forces securing the polling station.
Several independent NGOs reported several violations in a number of polling stations across the country. Violations included delay in the start time of the elections and the supporters of both candidates promoting through flyers, songs, and other means, which breaks the electoral silence.
The Supreme Electoral Commission approved 79 domestic and 6 international organisations to come to Egypt and observe the two-man run off for Egypt’s 6th president. International observers include: the European Union Election Observation Mission, the Arab League, the African Union Election Observation Mission, and the Global Network for Rights and Development.
