Fair poll for Egypt assembly is EU’s next target

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 15/09/05

The EU has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to ensure that Egypt's forthcoming parliamentary elections are free and fair in the wake of last week's presidential elections.

With President Hosni Mubarak returned to office, the EU is now turning its attention to the parliamentary ballots, expected in October or November.

The UK presidency this week urged the Egyptian government to allow effective observation of the elections and reiterated an EU offer to send an official election observation mission.

"The EU attaches great importance to the role played by civil society groups in the preparation and observation of elections and stands ready to support their efforts," it said in a statement which highlighted the legitimising role of international observers.

With outside observers barred from last week's polls amid widespread allegations from the opposition of vote-rigging, the EU is anxious for a cleaner election next time.

So far Cairo has not extended an invitation to the EU mission.

The deployment of observers needs to take place 4-6 weeks before the polls in order to monitor the parties' access to mass media and to ensure fair voter registration.

With the polls expected to take place over several weeks beginning in October or November, according to MEP and former commissioner Emma Bonino, an Egyptian response will soon be needed.

"If it is a standard mission then time is running very short," she said.

Reforms of Egyptian electoral rules enacted earlier this year mean that the parliamentary poll could be decisive in deciding who challenges the ruling National Democratic party in the next presidential elections, which are expected in 2011.

Under the new rules, parties need to obtain 5% of the 454 seats in the People's Assembly - or lower house of parliament - to put forward a presidential candidate.

Although further parliamentary elections are expected in 2010, opposition parties also have to be established five years before the presidential vote.

With ten seats occupied by presidential appointees, the parties will effectively need to take 23 seats in November's elections in order to prepare the way for their candidate.

Around 95% of Egyptian representatives are members of Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party, making it difficult for candidates to run without party backing.

Independent candidates require the endorsement of 250 elected members from Egypt's representative bodies, including 65 members of the People's Assembly.

According to sources, some Commission officials have already been sent to the region to assess in case Egypt responds positively to the EU's offer.

Article reports on increased diplomatic efforts by the European Union to ensure that Egypt's forthcoming Parliamentary elections were free and fair in the wake of the September 2005 Presidential elections.