Sisi announces his candidacy for the presidential elections amid ovation from state institutions and media.
Berlin on October 2, 2023
A day after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s statements about his ability to mobilize the poor in exchange for money, a number of his supporters gathered in a number of squares in Cairo and various governorates of Egypt after calls were launched through official media and private media to celebrate the anniversary of the October victory, but instead they carried banners supporting him and demanding him to run for the upcoming elections.
And in conjunction with those celebratory gatherings and during his speech at the end of a conference entitled “The Story of a Nation” which was broadcast on most private and official channels, President Sisi announced his candidacy for the upcoming Egyptian elections, and the conference which was held in the new administrative capital and lasted for 3 days was organized to enumerate what the organizers of the conference – the Egyptian authorities – described as the achievements of the current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ended with announcing his candidacy for the presidency, which constituted a clear exploitation of state institutions, resources and media to support the candidacy of the current president and serve him.
Law and Democracy Support Foundation monitored today, the ability of dozens of supporters of potential candidate Ahmed El-Tantawi to issue endorsements in his favor in some governorates, unlike previous days when the foundation monitored almost complete prevention of Tantawi’s supporters from issuing endorsements in various Notary’s offices.
However, the prevention and restriction against Tantawi’s supporters from issuing endorsements continued, where groups attributed themselves to the Future of a Nation “Mostakbl Watan” Party, and some citizens who were brought to Notaries offices to issue endorsements for the current president in exchange for some foodstuffs in front of many Notaries offices and they always had priority in issuing endorsements quickly unlike Tantawi’s supporters who were forced in most cases to wait for long hours until some of them could issue endorsements.
Many Notaries offices also witnessed technical malfunctions according to claims by their employees, which deprived supporters of potential candidate Ahmed El-Tantawi from issuing endorsements.
The researchers relied on direct interviews with victims of violations, and through the form published on the foundation’s Social Networks.
Law and Democracy Support Foundation monitored today the following:-
1- Preventing issuing endorsements for potential candidate Ahmed Tantawi
Giza Governorate witnessed preventing a number of Ahmed El-Tantawi’s supporters from issuing endorsements at the Notary’s office on Syria Street and facilitating issuing of endorsements for Sisi’s supporters.
The previews mentioned notary’s office was closed today before the end of official working hours, despite the presence of some supporters of candidate Ahmed El-Tantawi in front of The office were waiting to issue their endorsements in violation of the decision of the National Elections Authority, which confirmed that Notaries offices continue to work even after official working hours as long as there are citizens waiting to issue endorsements. Also, a number of Tantawi’s supporters were unable to issue endorsements at 6th of October second Notary’s office and October Development Office due to technical malfunctions according to employees’ claims.
In Cairo, at Nasr City Notary’s offices, LDSF documented that the Notary’s office employees deliberately disrupted and stalled in issuing endorsements for Tantawi’s supporters and waited for about 5 people for more than hours to issue an endorsement, and refused to issue endorsements for two supporters of Tantawi on The pretext that their national ID card is invalid. On contrary there were large numbers of Sisi’s supporters and facilitating issuing endorsements for them.
In Minya at Bani Mazar Notary’s office , LDSF monitored police men in civilian clothes forcing some of Tantawi’s supporters to issue endorsements for Sisi after they handed over their personal cards to the Notary’s office employees, and after threatening them to be arrest if they refused.
2- Mass mobilization for Sisi’s supporters
The foundation monitored mass mobilization of citizens who attributed themselves to Future Nation ‘mostkbl watan’ Party at Fayoum Notary’s Office, Raml First and Smouha Real Notaries offices in Alexandria Governorate, Rehab, Qasr El Nil Notaries officesin Cairo. They were enabled to issue endorsements in a short period. On contrary Tantawi’s supporters had to wait for hours until a few numbers could issue endorsements.
LDSF monitored that Tanta Notary’s office was closed during official working hours, with a heavy presence of Sisi’s supporters and Future of Nation “mpstakbl watan” Party in front of the office they were noticed to obtain numbers despite the closure of the real estate month office and refusal to enable supporters of Ahmed El-Tantawi to obtain waiting numbers to issue endorsements.
Outside Egypt, LDSF monitored that the Egyptian embassy in Italy employees refused to issue presidential election endorsements, and specifyed the 6th , 7th and 8th of October to issue endorsements.
Despite the decision of the National Elections Authority to allow citizens to register their endorsements during the period from September , 25 until the nomination period closes on October 14.
To report a violation click the following link :bit.ly/3RBqg57
