Many Egyptians refrain from voting in parliamentary polls

An Egyptian woman living abroad casts her vote during the first stage of Egypt's parliamentary election at the Egyptian consulate in Dubai, October 17, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE

After three years without a parliament in Egypt, eligible voters in the UAE and 138 other countries cast their votes in the first phase of parlia-mentary elections on Saturday.
Many Egyptian expatriates Khaleej Times spoke to, however, said they won't be part of the electoral process.
Sherif Al Wakeel, 46, from Ajman, said he participated in the previous elections, but will not this time.
"I guess many people will not take part because of the many delays."Essam Mohammed, 38, from Abu Dhabi, said he did not know any of the candidates.
"Many of the candidates are either ... corrupt or part of the former regime. I know none of them, and hence decided to refrain from voting.
"Emad Eldin, 44, a graphic designer who has been living in Abu Dhabi for 10 years, said he was eligible to vote in the elections from the UAE, but chose not to.
"Why should I vote for a person I don't know?"
Eldin, who is from Al Gharbia in Egypt, pointed out that it is all about trust. "The person we vote for is the person who represents the state. So I cannot just choose someone with a blind eye," he said.
"I must know and trust the person, because if I pick the wrong one then he might let me and my country down."Wael Sulaiman, 40, from Dubai, was more optimisitic.
"I decided to cast my vote and be part of the future."
How you can vote
The long-awaited two-phase elections are scheduled on November 22-23.
Eligible Egyptian voters here, hailing from 14 out of 27 provinces, started voting on Saturday.
The official statistics issued by the higher judiciary elections com-mittee show that 67,666 Egyp-tians are eligible for voting at the Egyptian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai.
Over 30,280 Egyptians staying in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region may approach the embassy on the Old Airport road to vote. The other registered 37,382 voters staying in Dubai and Northern Emirates can cast their votes at the consulate in Dubai on the Khalid bin Al Waleed road.
Sherif El Bedewy, Consul-General of Egypt in Dubai and Northern Emirates, told Khaleej Times that the door is open from 9am to 9pm.
"In addition to a private spot for voting, a separate glass box has been made available for each of the 14 provinces in the first phase."
He said the first day of the election saw a moderate number of voters.
"All Egyptians, who have national ID cards, are eligible for participating in the elections."
However, they should present proof of stay in the UAE, he underlined.
"A voter has to show his residence visa, Emirates ID card, or driving licence to prove that he is staying in the country."
Unlike previous elections, El Bedewy said, voting via mail shall not be accepted due to legal and procedural problems.
"Every voter has to appear in person at the polling station they are registered in."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• MENA