Egypt fears low turnout at presidential vote amid boycott calls
The Egyptian government urges voters to make a strong showing in presidential elections amid a growing trend among young people to stay away.
By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
25.05.2014
Cairo (dpa) – Egypt's interim rulers and pro-military broadcasters have launched a high-profile campaign to urge people to vote in the presidential election on Monday, the seventh vote since the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosny Mubarak.
Patriotic songs and TV ads are often played on state-run and private media.
A strong show at the polls will lend legitimacy to former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who is widely expected to win the vote.
Al-Sissi last year deposed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi and launched a deadly crackdown on supporters of his Muslim Brotherhood group, now banned under anti-terrorism laws.
“What did Egypt gain from your silence? Don't deny it your vote. You are shaping tomorrow on your terms, it is a good omen," sings Emirati singer Hussein al-Jasmi in a video clip showing Egyptians dancing as they carry placards reading "vote" and "participate."
An ad campaign on the privately-owned Al-Qahira Wal Nas TV also urges people to vote "to prove to the world" that the June 30 protests that led to Morsi's removal "were not a coincidence."
In January, the government hailed a 38.6 per cent turnout in the constitutional referendum, though that figure was low compared to previous polls, including the constitutional amendments in March 2011 and the 2012 presidential election, won by Morsi.
After more than three years of turmoil, some Egyptians are apathetic to an election whose outcome is almost certain. Leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahy, the only other candidate in the election, is almost certain to lose to al-Sissi.
“I believe the elections are not based on democratic principles, there are no equal opportunities for the candidates, and neither has presented something that would allure me to choose one of them,” said activist Mina Thabet.
Al-Sissi's popularity rose in July when he announced Morsi's overthrow after millions took to the streets to demand that Egypt's first democratically elected president step down.
Thabet, who co-founded the Maspero Youth Union three years ago to defend the rights of Coptic Christians, was a fierce opponent of Morsi and supported his overthrow.
He cites a security crackdown on Morsi's supporters that expanded to target secular activists as the military-backed interim government has restricted freedoms, targeting journalists and political activists critical of its work.
In November, the government adopted a controversial law that required organisers to give three-day notice to police before holding demonstrations, and granted law enforcement agents the power to ban any rally deemed a threat to public safety.
One month later, a court sentenced three prominent activists to three years in prison on charges of organizing illegal protests and attacking police officers.
“This atmosphere gives me very negative indications for the coming period. Democracy does not start at the ballot box, it starts with respecting diversity in opinions and ends with elections,” Thabet said.
"I ask all Egyptians, especially women, to prove their deep sense of patriotism by going to vote," al-Sissi said in a pre-election address. "I also ask the young people to participate regardless of who you want to vote for."
The Muslim Brotherhood, which maintains that Morsi is the president and labels his removal a coup, is boycotting the vote.
In a recent poll by the Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research (Baseera) 80 per cent of people surveyed said they would vote, while 12 per cent said they would boycott. The remaining eight per cent were undecided.
Egypt's April 6 Youth Movement, which played a key role in the protests against Mubarak and Morsi, said it would boycott the election, describing it "a farce."
Several senior members of April 6 have been imprisoned, including founding member Ahmed Maher.
"Today we are facing an event that has confirmed all our fears and warnings: military rule is back in a clear, direct way,” the group said.
The Strong Egypt party, led by moderate Islamist Abdel-Moneim Aboul Fotouh, also said it would boycott the election.
The party opposes al-Sissi. Three of the party’s members were sentenced to three years in absentia in February, a month after they were arrested while distributing flyers calling for a No vote in the constitution referendum.
"Al-Sissi will win anyway, no one doubts this. So, what difference will I make by going (to vote)?" asked Salem, 50, standing in his Cairo kiosk where he sells candies and cigarettes.
