IFES Releases Briefing Paper on Key Challenges for Credible and Competitive Elections in Egypt

As the situation in Egypt continues to evolve, IFES has released a briefing paper that serves as a guide to understanding the current electoral system and identifies issues that must be addressed immediately in order to have credible and competitive elections in the near future. 

Issues covered in Elections in Egypt: Key Challenges for Credible and Competitive Elections include:  

• Constitutional reforms are crucial for credible and competitive elections. The current law severely limits the pool of presidential candidates and impedes the formation and registration of opposition political parties. 
• Currently, the Ministry of Interior carries out logistics for all elections and referendums;  under the supervision of the Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) for presidential elections and the “independent” High Elections Commission (HEC) for all other elections and referendums. For the electoral process to be credible, the PEC and the HEC must have increased authority and supervisory power. 
• Regulations for electoral observation must be clarified and followed. Observation by both local and international observers is crucial for a credible and transparent process.

To view the paper, click here.