Army troops to secure the Senate elections (Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Armed Forces Spokeperson)
Egypt’s Armed Forces says it has put in place security measures along with the interior ministry to secure the Senate elections scheduled to start on Tuesday.
The army is deploying forces from field armies and special military zones, and is setting up checkpoints, fielding stand-by troops and carrying out patrols to secure polling locations and combat all potential threats during the vote, it said in a statement on Monday.
The measures are being taken in coordination with the civil police forces of the interior ministry and the National Elections Authority (NEA) to ensure a safe climate for citizens casting their ballots during the two-day vote, it added.
Special commando forces and paratroopers will also be on alert to support the forces securing the election and to confront any attempt to affect the voting process.
Meanwhile, the health ministry said on Sunday it would provide around 2,800 ambulances and around 7,000 medical staff across some 17,000 polling locations nationwide.
The election of the new second parliamentary chamber kicked off for Egyptians living abroad on Sunday.
The Senate, whose term is set at five years, will have 300 members. Two-thirds of the members will be elected via the individual candidacy and the closed party list systems, and the rest will be appointed by the president.
The results of the first round of voting will be announced 19 August.
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