Egypt bars those living in 5 countries from voting

A senior Egyptian diplomat said yesterday that the country will not organise systems for Egyptian expatriates living in five Arab and African countries to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

Speaking in an interview with Egyptian state-run newspaper Al-Akhbar, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdi Sanad Loza cited reasons security issues and political unrest as the reasons behind the decision.

Egyptians living in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and the Central African Republic will not be able to take part in March’s elections due to security issues and political instability in these countries, Loza explained.

Syria, Libya and Yemen have experienced turbulent security and political situations since 2011, while Somalia and the Central African Republic are witnessing armed conflicts and sectarian violence.

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The Egyptian National Elections Commission (NEC) announced on Monday that two presidential candidates applied for the upcoming elections, naming them as current President and coup leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Mousa Mostafa Mousa who heads Al-Ghad Party.

Egyptians living abroad are scheduled to cast their votes from 16-18 March according to the timetable set by the National Electoral Commission.