File Photo: Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said in a Monday press conference that no "state apparatus" was interfering in the elections, adding that the National Elections Authority (NEA) was the only authority responsible for the process.
In a press conference aired on TV, Ismail said the process was moving along "systematically," and that voter turnout at night is expected to increase into the evening as compared to midday.
The prime minister added that electoral participation is a right for every citizen, with today's participation being proof that Egypt was a developed country where citizens know their rights and duties.
He stressed that participation by Egyptians was a "response to the adverse foreign news articles" ahead of the elections.
Ismail said the electoral process was "going well" in the Northern Sinai governorate, where the Egyptian military and police are currently conducting the comprehensive counter-terrorism Operation Sinai 2018 with land, naval, and air forces.
He said that Saturday's failed assassination attempt that targeted Alexandria's security chief and killed two policeman will not affect voter participation in the Mediterranean city.
"The Egyptian people are fearless," the prime minsiter said.
Voting takes place from Monday to Wednesday, with polling stations opening at 9am and closing at 9pm.
There are two contenders: incumbent President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and politician Moussa Mostafa Moussa, who heads the Ghad Party.
The total number of eligible voters in the national voter database is 59 million, according to NEA statistics.
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