التاريخ : الخميس 15 ديسمبر 2011 . القسم : Media Statements
Egyptian Legislative Elections, FJP Press Release No. (21)
The first day of the second phase of the People's Assembly elections has come to an end, with voting turnout exceeding 30%. Many polling stations closed their doors with many voters standing in long lines eager to cast their votes, as happened in the Atfeih polling stations, in Giza governorate, as well as a number of stations in Beheira governorate.
The following is an account of the most important events of this first election day:
* The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) expresses its most sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Egyptian people, who proved that they are able to create and shape their own future through this great, confident participation in the first day of elections’ second phase. This unprecedented turnout was marked by many positive images that emphasised the Egyptian people’s awareness and their determination to complete the first stages of democratic transition, to rebuild their country and put it at the forefront of world top nations. We, therefore, renew our call for Egyptian people, the makers of this democratic experience, to continue their positive participation during the second day of the second phase.
* The FJP observed many violations witnessed at a number of polling stations, where some judges were a party to problems, directing the will of the electorate in favour of rival candidates against the Freedom and Justice party. The FJP stresses its full confidence in the Egyptian judiciary’s fairness and transparency, with heroic examples of tackling corruption and injustice. We, therefore, urge the High Judicial Elections Commission (HJEC) to announce the steps and action taken to deal with these violations, which we reported to HJEC in an official statement, hoping that such problems would be avoided on the second day and during the run-offs.
* There are still some satellite TV channels, owned by a number of businessmen, both from our competitors in elections or those who continue to have links to the dubious interests of the corrupt former regime and are still eager to serve its objectives in derailing the Egyptian revolution through deliberate disruption of the electoral process. Those are increasingly showing their hatred of the FJP, of all patriotic citizens in this country. They have varied their tricks against this nations’ democratic choice, sometimes telling people not to go to the ballot boxes, as happened in the first phase.
When the people disappointed them, they resorted to other ways that clearly demonstrated their hostility towards the FJP, by urging the electorate to vote for our rivals’ lists, claiming that we already had a large proportion of the first phase votes, which – according to them – requires redressing of the ‘balance’ in the second stage. Those seem to ignore the fact that FJP lists are actually the Democratic Alliance’s, which includes 10 parties, one of which is liberal party, another is a leftist and yet another is a nationalist party, and yet again another has Islam for a frame of reference, which altogether reflects the highest levels of balance.
The FJP expresses its solid confidence that the Egyptian people fully recognise the spiteful and malevolent objectives of these TV channels and those who speak through them. The FJP also stresses that everyone, including the FJP, must respect the will of the people and the choices they make, and even defend them, for that is the real path to progress and stability.