Fraud claimed in Egyptian election

CAIRO – Indignant opposition candidates and independent monitors claimed yesterday that incumbent Hosni Mubarak’s camp had massively violated electoral law during Egypt’s first contested presidential poll.

The accusations set a tense backdrop for what was guaranteed to be the beginning of a fifth term for the 77-year-old leader, whom observers had predicted would seek to tamper with the results to ensure sufficient legitimacy. Forced voting, paid voters, unmanned polling stations, missing indelible ink and the use of public transport to ferry voters to polling stations were only some of the accusations against Mubarak’s National Democratic Party.As counting continued across the country, results were not expected before late yesterday at the earliest.The country’s judges – tasked with supervising Wednesday’s vote – warned before the polling stations opened that they would not endorse them.However, government officials voiced satisfaction with the polling process.”The electoral process…was as good as could have been envisioned,” said electoral commission secretary general Osama Attawiya.But opposition activists, who demonstrated Wednesday to urge a boycott of an election they deemed unfair, were already planning protests against the poll results for later in the week.There was no immediate comment from Mubarak’s camp.Estimates released by the four-term president’s main rival, Ghad party leader Ayman Nur, indicated that turnout stood at between 15 and 20 per cent in rural areas and hovered between 3 and 5 per cent in cities.A top aide to Nur – who described the vote as a “defining moment in Egypt’s history” – claimed the fiery 40-year-old lawyer should obtain between 30 and 55 per cent of the vote if the election was not rigged.Nur’s deputy, Hisham Kassem, said he expected mass fraud would take place during the counting.The Wafd party of Nur’s main rival for second spot, Numan Gumaa, also alleged “unacceptable abuses” during the voting on the part of Mubarak supporters.It is the first election in which Mubarak has faced challengers and follows intense international and domestic pressure for reform in a country still ruled under a state of emergency imposed after Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981.- Nampa-AFPForced voting, paid voters, unmanned polling stations, missing indelible ink and the use of public transport to ferry voters to polling stations were only some of the accusations against Mubarak’s National Democratic Party.As counting continued across the country, results were not expected before late yesterday at the earliest.The country’s judges – tasked with supervising Wednesday’s vote – warned before the polling stations opened that they would not endorse them.However, government officials voiced satisfaction with the polling process.”The electoral process…was as good as could have been envisioned,” said electoral commission secretary general Osama Attawiya.But opposition activists, who demonstrated Wednesday to urge a boycott of an election they deemed unfair, were already planning protests against the poll results for later in the week.There was no immediate comment from Mubarak’s camp.Estimates released by the four-term president’s main rival, Ghad party leader Ayman Nur, indicated that turnout stood at between 15 and 20 per cent in rural areas and hovered between 3 and 5 per cent in cities.A top aide to Nur – who described the vote as a “defining moment in Egypt’s history” – claimed the fiery 40-year-old lawyer should obtain between 30 and 55 per cent of the vote if the election was not rigged.Nur’s deputy, Hisham Kassem, said he expected mass fraud would take place during the counting.The Wafd party of Nur’s main rival for second spot, Numan Gumaa, also alleged “unacceptable abuses” during the voting on the part of Mubarak supporters.It is the first election in which Mubarak has faced challengers and follows intense international and domestic pressure for reform in a country still ruled under a state of emergency imposed after Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981.- Nampa-AFP