EU To Observe Egypt’s Presidential Poll: PEC

Egypt’s Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) said on Sunday that a delegation from the European Union (EU) will be observing its upcoming presidential race.

Head of the PEC Anwar El-Asy met with the head of the EU delegation tasked with observing the upcoming elections in Egypt to look into the observing procedures and see what either the committee or state apparatuses can do to facilitate the EU’s task in the country.

According to a press statement by the PEC, both parties affirmed their keenness for the delegation to continue with its mission.

On Saturday, an EU source told AFP that that the EU will no longer observe the upcoming presidential race in Egypt as certain conditions necessary for the job have not been met.

A European source explained to AFP at the time that the observers were meant to be deployed throughout Egypt, but that “it proved impossible to have the telecommunication equipment and medical kits essential to ensure the security and safety of observers released on time”.

However, earlier on Sunday, the shipment of communication equipment that was supposed to be used by the EU to observe the elections was allowed to enter the country following at least two weeks of being held at Cairo’s airport.

Egypt’s presidential elections are taking place on 26-27 May and will feature just two candidates: former army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Nasserist politician Hamdeen Sabahi.

Source : Ahram online