IRI and Carter Center Issue Egypt Elections Assessments

On January 19, the International Republican Institute (IRI) released its assessment of the third and final round of voting for Egypt’s lower house of parliament, the People’s Assembly. This phase of the election ended last week, with the final results expected to be released on Saturday. The report summary noted a “marked improvement in enforcement of rules” for the third round of voting, though turnout appeared to be lighter than the first two phases and the transport and counting of ballots “remained an enormous logistical challenge.” IRI also commented on the positive presence of party representatives, who “contributed to the atmosphere of transparency,” and recommended deploying these representatives for future elections. Additionally, the report suggested “more specific guidance on electoral procedures” from the High Election Commission (HEC).

The Carter Center, another organization invited to observe Egypt’s parliamentary elections, posted an executive summary of its observations on January 13. Overall, the results of the People’s Assembly elections were “a broadly accurate expression of the will of the voters,” and parties, candidates, and voters were generally able to participate in the process without interference. However, the Carter Center did identify a number of “shortcomings in the legal framework, campaign violations, and weaknesses in the administration of the elections.” The summary echoed the IRI report, describing the ballot-counting process as “chaotic … due to an absence of clear procedures or training.” The Center was also troubled by what it called the “gross under-representation of women” and the ”lack of transparent behavior” by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which called into question “their commitment to full civilian leadership.”