I’ve just got home from a school nearby where I voted in the elections. This is my first time ever to vote either in presidential or legislative elections as I’m only 20 years old. What a coincidence that my first voting be in the much anticipated and first ever multi-candidate presidential elections. I have some things to talk about in my brand new experience.
The emptiness of the voting place was what first struck me. According to the lists of voters there should be 1700 citizens in that school and if we divide the number of voters by the number of hours allowed (14 hours), there should be like 120 people each our but that of course wasn’t the case. Consequently, the process went very smoothly and it only took me 10 minutes to get into the school, vote and get out.
I needn’t say that only part that was represented there was the ruling party (the National Democratic party of course!).
The most important issue that has been worrying the citizens is the transparency in counting votes and not faking the results. From what I’ve seen, there was a judge in the office supervising the whole process of voting and I made sure that my paper was put in the box. Also, the ink has been applied to my thumb to make sure I wouldn’t vote twice (this ink, they say, can’t be erased in 24 hours and I, now, believe them). This ink caused a completely uncivilised scene as everyone after finishing voting wiped their thumbs in the walls and it looked as if they have sacrificed a buffalo that has crimson ink running in its veins. :)
I heard from some people that in some of the offices of voting, there was no ink applied and agents from the ruling party encouraged people to go to other offices and vote again and they will provide transportation.
One last thing that’s a bit funny. While I was leaving, two men were walking beside me and asked me who I voted for. To be frank, I was afraid they might some of the criminals of the ruling party and they would beat me up if I told them I didn’t vote for their candidate. So, I just put a stupid smile on my face and said nothing. One of them asked if I have asked again so I asked tell me first who did you vote for so he told me he voted for (Wael) Nour. Well, I tried to stop myself from laughing, because Wael Nour is an Egyptian actor. The man meant Ayman Nour the candidate from Al-Ghad party. He was holding a flier carrying the name, symbol and photo of Ayman but he couldn’t memorise the name!! I told him there’s no such candidate as Wael Nour and that I didn’t vote for him and then left them. I won’t comment on the situation but I guess every one can deduce from it how political our people are!