Female candidates of the National Democratic Party complain of Parties’ exploitation of them
ECWR has been continuously monitoring the legislative elections of 2010 from a gender perspective with concern for Egyptian women, her achievements and political participation. ECWR received many complaints from female candidates of the National Democratic Party, the governing party, who were excluded from nomination in the upcoming elections. According to the final results that were announced on the 8th of this month, women’s complaints were focused on:
1. NDP’s exploitation
The party made the best use of some female candidates by taking donations from each candidate of up to 10,000 EGP. This is why there are calls for the return of the money.
2. Nominating candidates out of the electoral college, based on criteria of relatives and not on partisan basis
The party excluded some female candidates in favor of others who are relatives of some secretaries in the party. Moreover, many women in Beheira claimed that they were excluded in favor of others who came out of the Electoral College.
3. Prevent entering the headquarter to look at results of the Electoral College
ECWR received a complaint from one of the National Democratic Party’s female candidates in Assuit who has been excluded from nomination in the elections. She said that she was prevented from entering the secretariat of the NDP in Cairo when she went there to know the number of votes that she gained; this happened after she went to the secretariat of the party in Assuit and was informed that ballot boxes had been moved into Cairo.
4. Changing the nomination category
ECWR received a complaint from one of the National Democratic Party’s female candidates in Kafr El Shekh for labor seat within the quota system. She said that the party chose her for the professional seat, though she submitted her documents for the labor seat. Thus, it became necessary for her to change the category of her nomination, though the party has affirmed to her before that she will be nominated as labor candidate in Assuit. The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights is still following the election process and is receiving complaints from women in all the Egyptian governorates.
