Members of American delegation appeared dancing with voters outside polling stations in Menoufia governorate, north of Egypt, Tuesday 27 March – photo courtesy of Twitter
CAIRO – 27 March 2018: Members of an American delegation monitoring Egypt’s 2018 presidential election appeared dancing with voters outside polling stations in Menoufia governorate in northern Egypt on Tuesday, March 27.
The delegation, which includes Andy Braner, an International fellow at the office of U.S. congressman Jeff Fortenberry, and Sasha Toperich of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), expressed their excitement at sharing joy with Egyptians casting their ballots.
In statements to Egypt Today, Toperich said that the voting process has been going smoothly since the early morning of the election’s first day on Monday, March 26. He added that neither he nor any of his colleagues noticed any voting breaches.
“All of the observers and judges supervising the election are acting professionally. I’m glad to see Egyptians keen on going and participating in the election. I love Egypt and will continue supporting and loving it,” Toperich said.
Meanwhile, the variety of Egyptians participating in the election was one of the most interesting observations for International fellow of U.S. Congress, Braner. He told Egypt Today that all of sectors of society, including “women, men, elders, rich and poor,” have been keen to cast their ballots since the beginning of the election.
“Participating in the elections is representing the country’s democracy,” he said, adding that he is excited to see most Egyptians participating in the election.
Member of Parliament Dalia Youssed accompanied the American delegation during their tour. She told Egypt Today that the observers visited several polling stations in different governorates, including Cairo and Menoufia.
Voters welcomed the American delegation and prepared a large traditional meal for them as they celebrated and danced with them.
The three-day Egyptian presidential election commenced on Monday and will continue through Wednesday.
According to the National Elections Authority, 18,000 judges are observing the election, with nearly 110,000 election officials deployed to ensure that voting procedures are properly followed.
A total of 54 local organizations, nine international organizations and 680 foreign correspondents received permits to observe the electoral process in Egypt.
The winning presidential candidate is due to be sworn in this coming June.
This article was amended on March 28, 17:25. Andy Braner is not a U.S. Congressman as previous stated.
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