President Bill Sweeney Reaffirms IFES’ Relationship with Egyptian Stakeholders
Speaking to the attendees of the reception, President Sweeney reflected on IFES’ work in Egypt: “From providing advice to the High Elections Commission on the most effective ballot boxes, to working with local partners on voter education campaigns accessible to all, it’s been a great privilege to assist Egypt’s electoral bodies as they accomplish much in the way of improving election procedures and processes, and laying the groundwork for future, seamlessly run electoral cycles.” President Sweeney also noted, “IFES is excited about the tantalizing potential the constitutionally mandated permanent election body will bring to the conduct of further elections, and we hope to continue to leverage the partnerships we’ve made over the past few years to help you respond to this important mandate.”’
Attendees, particularly the various Egyptian government officials, noted how integral IFES is to elections in Egypt, in both the short and long term. In the short term, in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections, IFES is working closely with the HEC on procuring key election-related commodities, including tamper-evident seals, vests for polling-station personnel, and various other items for securing and storing ballots and other sensitive election documents.