File Photo: Men walk in front of the National Election Authority. Reurers
In a statement, the government revealed that relevant ministers and officials convened on Wednesday to address the logistical and organizational preparation for the forthcoming electoral process.
“The government is committed to cooperating with the NEA in everything it requires to carry out its responsibilities and hold elections in the optimal manner,” Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said during the meeting.
Key attendees at the meeting included Minister of Justice Omar Marwan, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait, Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, and Minister of Education Reda Hegazy.
Also present were Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdy Loza, General Supervisor of the Crisis Centre at the Ministry of Local Development Wael Saada, and other officials from relevant ministries.
The statement further highlighted the ongoing coordination between the NEA and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Communications and Information Technology concerning the elections.
Commitments
The meeting reviewed the government’s commitments to support the NEA in performing its duties in accordance with the constitution and law, the statement said.
Following up on preparations for elections, the government said elections will be held abroad in 138 polling stations in the headquarters of Egyptian diplomatic missions in 122 countries, according to data provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity is also coordinating with the NEA to make it easier for people with special needs to cast their ballots.
The meeting highlighted the Ministry of Interior’s full preparedness to protect polling stations nationwide.
The Ministry of Health and Population is also prepared to provide medical care and emergency medical services around the stations and also carry out the required examinations for the presidential candidates, the government added.
Funding for logistical requirements for the elections will be provided by the Ministry of Finance.
Coordination is also ongoing with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to secure all communication needs for the electoral process, the government added.
In parallel, the NEA's board met on Tuesday to monitor election preparations, approving media outlets' requests to cover the upcoming elections and referendums. The meeting also reviewed requests from local and foreign civil society groups to monitor the elections.
The NEA, established as per the 2014 constitution, serves as the independent body responsible for organizing and managing elections. Last June, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi appointed veteran judge Walid Hamza as the NEA's chairperson.
Elections timetable
The official elections timetable has yet to be announced, but constitutional provisions suggest that the electoral process must commence no later than December, with voting concluding before 18 January, 2024, in accordance with the end of the NEA's ten-year power supervise elections.
Incumbent President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018, is nearing the end of his current term on 2 April, 2024. He has the option to seek an additional six-year term until 2030, based on constitutional amendments ratified in 2019.
Presidential candidates
While President El-Sisi has not officially declared his intent to run for a third term, several political parties have encouraged him to run.
To date, five political figures, including 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 known for his opposition to El-Sisi’s policies, have expressed their plans to compete in the upcoming elections.
This comes as the National Dialogue, involving discussions among various political factions, has called for a democratic atmosphere conducive to a multi-candidate presidential election,
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