Mubarak’s re-election lacks fairness, says Judges Club

CAIRO — The Egypt Judges Club (EJC) has said that the re-election of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during the September election lacks fairness, although the breaches recorded during the process did not reach the level where it can be said to have a significant influence on the election result.

President Mubarak (77), beat nine other contestants to maintain his seat, scoring 90 per cent of the votes in the country’s first multi-candidates election, which recorded a turnout of about 23 per cent. The 40-year old Ayman Nour, Leader of the Al Ghad (Tomorrow) Party, was placed second, scoring eight per cent of the votes. A 15-page report issued by the EJC said the club, in compiling its report, did not take into consideration the arguments making rounds about the conditions set for the presidential candidature.

Members of the opposition said the amendment of the Egyptian constitution, on which the presidential election was conducted was ‘unconstitutional’ because it made it a condition for any candidate to get the support of 250 elected members of parliament and local district assemblies, which were dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party, headed by Mubarak.

The report said the fact-finding committee believed its duties should be limited to investigating the incidents related to the judges’ supervision of the election, begin- ning from the time of their appointment up to the time the results of the election were announced. “These duties should not include the arguments on the conditions set for the qualification of a candidate,” the report added.

“The Electoral Commission has unjustifiably disqualified a large number of judges from supervising the election. This had created an unhealthy climate among them, giving birth to rumours, including a rumour that those disqualified were punished for openly demanding the right to full supervision of the election by the judges,” the report said.