5 International Groups to monitor Egypt Parliament Polls

Egypt’s official electoral commission said Monday that five international organizations and 63 domestic ones would monitor the country’s upcoming parliamentary polls slated for March.

“Permits to observe the elections were approved for five international organizations, including 790 observers and 180 translators,” the commission said in a statement.

According to the commission, the international organizations that will observe the elections are the Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy; the Norway-based Global Network for Rights and Development; and the South Africa-based Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa.

The International Institute for Peace, Justice and Human Rights and the Ecumenical Alliance for Human Rights and Development – both based in Switzerland – will also monitor the polls.

Additionally, 63 local organizations will monitor the elections with the use of 94,097 local observers.

Earlier this month, election commission head Ayman Abbas announced that parliamentary polls would begin on March 21 and end on May 7.

Egypt’s parliament is composed of 567 seats, of which 540 are elected and 27 appointed by the president.

Source: World Bulletin