A photo of the Egyptian National Election Authority's (NEA) press conference on Wednesday.
During the NEA’s press conference last week, Ahmed Bendari, the executive director of the NEA, stated that the authority will maintain neutrality toward candidates and guarantee the full rights of all candidates who meet the nomination requirements.
“The elections will be conducted under full judicial supervision, ensuring transparency, with each candidate having their representatives in all polling stations,” Bendari stressed.
The upcoming presidential elections will be the fifth competitive elections and the third since the January revolution, he noted.
Established per the 2014 constitution, the NEA is the independent body responsible for organizing and managing elections.
In June, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi appointed veteran judge Walid Hamza as chair of the NEA.
According to the Egyptian constitution, 3 December 2023 is the deadline for opening Egypt’s presidential elections candidacy.
Elections race: who’s running?
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has not officially announced that he is running for the presidency. Although President El-Sisi's term ends in 2024, several political parties have urged him to run for another period.
Seven political figures have revealed their plans to compete in the upcoming elections.
Last week, Gameela Ismail, the head of the liberal Dostour (Constitution) Party, and Farid Zahran, the head of the leftist Egyptian Social Democratic Party, announced plans to run.
They also include Abdel-Sanad Yamama, head of the Wafd Party; Fouad Badrawi, a former MP and member of the Wafd Party's Higher Council; Hazem Omar, head of the People's Republican Party; Ahmed El-Fadaly, chairman of the Democratic Peace Party; and Ahmed Tantawi, a former MP and former head of the leftist Al-Karama (“Dignity”) Party.
According to Article 142 of the constitution, presidential candidates should secure endorsements from 20 MPs or 25,000 registered voters spread across at least 15 governorates, with a minimum of 1,000 endorsements from each governorate.
State neutrality, equal media coverage
The dialogue’s board stressed that all presidential candidates should be able to campaign, seek endorsements, and reach voters freely. They should also receive equal time in media coverage.
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