Presidential Elections continue another day

[HEPZIBAH]

I understand that the Presidential Elections which were due to close last night have continued. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this should have been allowed to happen or should the polls closed at the pre-published time? Do you think it is going to make any difference? Is it even constitutionally legal?

[Who2]

I reckon that they should stay open for a week minimum, it's gonna be a close run event, 'I'm sitting on the edge of my chair..

[carrie]

Very hot here Hepzi a lot of people I spoke to yesterday were leaving voting until last night, perhaps there were too many so decided to keep it open for another day.When I passed the polling stations on the east and west bank today there didn't seem to be much activity.
Whether it's constitutional or not I have no idea the extention was announced on TV.

[Who2]

They should have sponsors for the polling booths like A/C companies or 'Barraka water points, cheap and effective like those adverts in gents urinals, an idea I had many many years ago, and I should know when in Prague we introduced Marlboro through ADT onto the trams...'how to ruin a nice city through greed or in ADT's case a pittance..

[A-Four]

One thing that will be certain, the young generation that are to become Egypt's future, will not have bothered to vote, simply because they see the future as exactly the same as it was, if not more oppressive under this, shall we say a 'glossy new, old status quo'.

The rebellion might be over, the revolution against the old guard, and it's 'Uncle Tom' voters, who believe that the shadoof is still as good as it's always been, will linger on, but for how long?

[carrie]

Speaking to someone today he said he holds out no hope for Egypt. Things he believes will get worse, tourists will never return to Luxor in the numbers they once did, and he said the MB are far from finished. He is not a supporter by the way. In fact it was a very gloomy future he envisioned.

[Dusak]

Very hot here Hepzi a lot of people I spoke to yesterday were leaving voting until last night, perhaps there were too many so decided to keep it open for another day.When I passed the polling stations on the east and west bank today there didn't seem to be much activity.
Whether it's constitutional or not I have no idea the extention was announced on TV.

according to the news this morning, the temperature yesterday was identical to the Morsi voting days, The young people that instigated the Rev 1 are staying away as they feel betrayed by what they see as a coup. To legitimize his win he needs to be seen to get the same or above the vote count from the last one, hence the extra day I think. My friend showed me a text message she and other family members received yesterday stating that it was their duty to vote and they could be fined if not doing so[$70]. This is an old law in Egypt according to a discussion on TV last night that can still be brought into force. Not exactly a fair and free election process if they have to threaten an all ready impoverished population with hefty fines if refusing to vote.

[newcastle]

Very hot here Hepzi a lot of people I spoke to yesterday were leaving voting until last night, perhaps there were too many so decided to keep it open for another day.When I passed the polling stations on the east and west bank today there didn't seem to be much activity.
Whether it's constitutional or not I have no idea the extention was announced on TV.

according to the news this morning, the temperature yesterday was identical to the Morsi voting days, The young people that instigated the Rev 1 are staying away as they feel betrayed by what they see as a coup. To legitimize his win he needs to be seen to get the same or above the vote count from the last one, hence the extra day I think. My friend showed me a text message she and other family members received yesterday stating that it was their duty to vote and they could be fined if not doing so[$70]. This is an old law in Egypt according to a discussion on TV last night that can still be brought into force. Not exactly a fair and free election process if they have to threaten an all ready impoverished population with hefty fines if refusing to vote.

Mass text-messaging....threats of fines...smacks of desperation to me. And assuming your voting form is anonymous, what's the point? If you're worried about a fine just leave it blank or spoil it (try marking it with F U CC). Of course Sisi wants to poll more votes than Morsi....preferably on a higher turnout. It looks like he may just get the former, but not the latter, so he won't get the "ringing endorsement" of his accession that he wants. But so what? He will be judged in due course by what improvements (if any) he can make to the socio/economic situation in Egypt. And he wants plenty of time. In the meantime the moaners better keep their traps shut....or else!

[Who2]

I think Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is a great choice for President and If I could vote I would have voted for him....
Ps: A happy tourist ex-pat.

[HEPZIBAH]

Very hot here Hepzi a lot of people I spoke to yesterday were leaving voting until last night, perhaps there were too many so decided to keep it open for another day.When I passed the polling stations on the east and west bank today there didn't seem to be much activity.
Whether it's constitutional or not I have no idea the extention was announced on TV.

I don't accept the heat as an excuse for having to extend the polling time. If that were the case they knew what the heat was likely to be and could have arrange polling times from early morning - siesta closed - and then open again in the evening and throughout the night if needs be.

If it had been a case that so many people were out queuing to vote during the per advertised times and would not be able to give their vote before the polls closed that would be a different matter, but with such a low overall turnout that cannot be the reason.

I don't know the statistics, but just going on the news items it is interesting to me that so many Egyptians around the world cast their vote and yet so few cast their vote who were actually in Egypt. (If I thought that such a high percentage of non UK residents were voting for what went on here when they have little or no intention of returning I would be very worried about such a 'tail wag dog' situation.)

[A-Four]

I think Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is a great choice for President and If I could vote I would have voted for him....
Ps: A happy tourist ex-pat.

I totally agree with you my dear Dr, and if I was still an ex-pat in what has now become a political 'tin-pot' country, I too would have expressed a similar desire.

HOWEVER.

As we now begin to see how the vote has come in, I think it may be wise to consider that, as a nation less than half of those eligible to vote, did so. In most of the Middle and Upper Egyptian governerates only one third bothered to do so.

P.S. - Perhaps now, might not be a good idea, to go waving those flags out of car windows, or dare I say it, stroll along the streets wearing Egyptian flag garments, - those Upper Egyptian folk have long memories.

[HEPZIBAH]

I would normally put this in Literary Corner but it seems appropriate at the moment to post it here.

At the moment I am reading A Tourist in The Arab Spring by Tom Chesshyre - Has anyone else read this?

From the publishers site:
In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, war reporters rushed to publish accounts of the uprising. Tom Chesshyre took a different approach - he jumped on a plane and became the first to return to the region as a tourist. The result is the fascinating, street-level tale of a lay traveller's journey through lands fresh from revolution. Chesshyre heads for tourist sites that few have seen in recent years, as well as new 'attractions' like Gaddafi's bombed-out bunker in Tripoli. In a book both touching and humorous, he also describes being abducted in Libya, listening to the sound of Kalashnikovs at night and talking to ordinary people struggling to get by.
Extract from the introduction...
'I was travelling as a tourist, not as a foreign correspondent with a well-thumbed contacts book and a series of appointments. I would take the temperature of the region during a key period in its history - as a casual visitor. I would see what there was to see as a traveller with a guidebook. Yet by talking to people along the way, I'd get a sense of the bigger picture.
That was my hope, at least. Being a tourist would be my way of unlocking the countries. I would take in the wonderful Byzantine ruins of Tunisia, the famous Roman remains in Libya, and the treasures of the pharaohs in Egypt, plus some lovely beaches in the Sinai Peninsula. What would I find out about the Arab Spring as I pottered among the ancient sights? What does an Arab Spring feel like?'

So far I've read his account of Tunisia and we are now in Libya en route to Egypt. It is interesting to read the comments and feel the mood of the locals he interacts with on his journey - those of us who know Egypt and Egyptians will recognise so much. Having visited all three countries - albeit Libya was only a flight change but interesting non the less (I also have an older cousin who was imprisoned in Libya in the 1970's) - I could visualise places and people and his simple style of writing - giving dates and facts without bombarding the reader with stodgy stuff - has helped me understand a bit more the Arab Spring on a wider scale, having really only focussed on Egypt. There is just so much I find myself recognising - not just the places he visits but more the attitudes and comments from those around him.

[Brian Yare]

And assuming your voting form is anonymous, what's the point?

Nothing to do with the voting form being anonymous. Even in the UK we have anonymous voting forms, but we have to be crossed off the Electoral Register when the voting form is issued.

[carrie]

Low turn out, apathy or what? Every where you go there are posters of El Sisi, I don't mean official ones like there used to be for Mubarak but outside private homes and businesses, now this may just be an expression not of total support for El Sisi but a sign that the owner/ occupier is not a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.
It was apparent to everyone here that El Sisi was going to get elected with such an overwhelming majority expected people may have thought it wasn't necessary for them to cast their vote.
As for the flag waving, not me, keep a low profile and see how things work out. After all it is not my country I have no right to express my support or opposition to any one party.

[Glyphdoctor]

P.S. - Perhaps now, might not be a good idea, to go waving those flags out of car windows, or dare I say it, stroll along the streets wearing Egyptian flag garments, - those Upper Egyptian folk have long memories.

Indeed, the current president just passed a law yesterday that renders those particular flag garments a criminal offense punishable by up to a year in prison or a 30,000 LE fine. Pretty amazing to think just a couple days ago they were declaring their love for said president and continuing to brag about their now criminal garb.

[Mad Dilys]

Welcome back Glyphdoctor.

[Scottishtourist]

Yes,welcome,welcome,welcome GD!

Please,please,please,give us your thoughts.

Cos,even though we've had our differences and disputes..your finger is on the pulse!
You read and speak Arabic..so share your views and give us a true insight as to what's going on in the country.

Once again I reiterate and ask...is it safe?

[A-Four]

Hello Glyph,

Funny enough, I've just mentioned your good name, amongst the other happy throng, that gave this organ such life blood. As you have probably noticed free speech seems to have gone out of the window here, but still.

So the crack down has already begun, and actually I am aware of a number of 'new tricks' that are soon to appear out of the Sisi 'lucky bag', however for so many on here, you would think they are living in ******* Narnia.

By the way, Welcome home, the family area little dysfunctional , as per usual, though I'm sure you have already gathered that.

[Dusak]

A true sign of patriotism by a countries people is by way of wearing the national flag colours by way of an item of clothing, so why ban something that the people are proud to display? Does this mean that no longer will the supporters be allowed to show their countries colours at say, international football matches? It seems to be a very fast step in the direction everyone was hoping to leave behind. So what will the new dress code now be? Khaki?

[Glyphdoctor]

It's not wearing the flag that has been made illegal, but it is now illegal to desecrate it with writing. For example, if you sew the words "I <3 Luxor" into an Egyptian flag, you are committing a criminal act. If, just a few minutes ago, you happened to publish a picture of an Egyptian flag with the words "Egypt First" superimposed on it on your FB page, you would be committing a criminal act.

I have no opinion to share, but it just goes to show that supposed acts of "love" can become criminal acts of "disrespect" overnight with the stroke of the pen of a single man and publication in the official gazette the next morning.