Background of the Process and Follow-up action
Network of elections in the Arab world was established in 2006, with a membership of 40 institutions from the various organizations involved in elections from 11 Arab countries. The network is active in monitoring the elections in the Arab world over the past six years.
A team of election network of the Arab world is composed of (40) field observers belonging to (14) State of follow-up to the Egyptian presidential election run-off held on June16 – 17, 2012.
The team of network paid a visit to a number of electoral committees with some Egyptian governorates. These governorates are (Cairo - Giza - Eastern - Qalyubia - Dakahlia - Menofia - Alexandria), after the composition of team includes each three of international followers. , Three teams were formed for each governorate as well as an operating room includes a number of observers
A systematic follow-up process depends on the direct observations of the monitors and receiving statements from stakeholders (without interference in the electoral process) as well as filling a questionnaire prepared in advance. An analysis of the results of this form in the report will be conducted and will be released after the end of the second phase of elections.
Background on the Process of Electoral Run-off in Egypt
This is the first presidential elections since the revolution of January 25, 2011, and the second in modern Egyptian history. The first presidential elections in Egypt took place in 2005 and were won by former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak after competition described by many that it was non-serious.
The first round of elections was conducted within two days 23 to 24 May 2012 and contested by 13 candidates representing most of the political spectrum in Egypt, and ended with the announcement of Mohamed Morsi, candidate, a candidate of Freedom and Justice which was established by the Muslim Brotherhood to about (25%) of the votes, as well as the independent candidate Ahmed Shafiq, who was the last prime minister to about (25%) to conduct the run-off.
Presidential elections are conducted in accordance with the Constitutional Declaration issued in March 2011 after a referendum of the people on some of its articles, including articles for the election of President of the Republic, as well as in accordance with law 174 of 2005, as amended by Decree No. 12 of 2012 where a committee with the formation of full judicial has supervised the conduct of the electoral process

Ser. Candidate Name Declared Political Affiliation Obtained Votes in the first round Percentage
1 Ahmed Shafiq an independent candidate - the last prime minister before the ouster of former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak 5.505 million votes 24.8
2 Mohamed Morsi Senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Head of the Party of Freedom and Justice, founded by the group after the revolution of January 25 5.764 million votes 23.7

Observations on the Electoral Process run-off
First: - Legal, Procedural and Political Atmosphere
No change in the legal and procedural atmosphere took place on the basis of the run-off than was the case in the first round. The round was held in light of the Constitutional Declaration issued in March 2011, Law 174 of 2005 amended by Decree No. 12 of 2012. We have mentioned in our previous report that this legal framework is largely positive with the exception of some of the fears associated with protection of the decisions of the High Elections committee under Article 28 of the Constitutional Declaration.
The most important changes in this round were at the political level, against the background of some judicial rulings issued during the days leading up to the elections, which were as follows: -
The most important changes in this round was on the political level, according to some judicial decisions issued during the days preceding the election. They were as follows: -
1. Recommendation (non-binding and is not a court ruling) of the Commission's Authority of the Egyptian administrative of non-jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee of the presidential election to refer amendments of the political rights law to the Supreme Constitutional Court.
2. Rule of the Supreme Constitutional Court to invalidate the law that elections were conducted on the basis of Parliament, and then the invalidity of the Council itself.
3. A decision by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to dissolve the parliament based on the rule of the Supreme Constitutional Court.
4. Rule of the Supreme Constitutional Court to invalidate the amendments introduced by Parliament to the law on political rights and called the law of political isolation, which was aimed at the current candidate Ahmed Shafiq

The team of the network noted that these political changes have had a wide resonance on the Egyptian scene before the electoral process. These changes contributed to raise the case of extreme political polarization during the electoral process
Second: - Administrative Management and Conduct of the Executive Authority Good behavior of the authority of management of the electoral process is continuing, as characterized by a high degree of neutrality and efficient administrative management and the disappearance of most of the negative phenomena associated with the administrative management, which we observed previously in the parliament elections. Also observers of the network witnessed a very large extent of receding in one the negatives that we observed in the first round, which is the delay of opening some of the committees, or the absence of information on the guidance of the voters.
The authorities of management and insurance proves seriousness this time by moving positively toward the remove of violations and propaganda posters of the candidates in front of polling stations, as well as the intervention of security forces to arrest those who violate the rules of electoral silence or trying to influence the will of the voters
We have received some statements relating to non-neutrality of some of the staff of the polling stations and a few of the chairs of judiciary committee, as sayings echoed their support for a particular candidate at the expense of another, although the team of the network has not seen any presence of this phenomenon in headquarters that have been visited.
Third: - Participation in the Electoral Process
There are more than 50 million Egyptian voters eligible to vote in the electoral process. A database of voters was built from the reality of a database of national number, and updated the database to add those who reached the age of 18 years and had ID before the date of 8/3 / 2012 and delete all of the applicable conditions of the exemption, prevention, and deprivation of political rights from them.
The first round has seen controversy relates to what was said at that time that some exempted groups voted (recruiters of the armed forces). The officials of the Election committee have denied that, but it cast a shadow over the electoral process in the run-off.
The Executive Authority was right enough in the run-off ballot for granting an official holiday with pay to enable expatriate voters from voting in elections, which is a response to the recommendations of the network that we asked in our report in the first round.
The evidence and indications refer that the rates of participation in the run-off was relatively low and does not different much than it was in the first round, which is generally rates lower than in the parliamentary elections.
Fourth: - Violation of the Rules of the Election Campaign and Penetrate the Silence Period
Network observers monitored violation of both candidates of run-off for the rules of the organization of the election campaign. The propaganda discourse between the parties was very severe and exclusionary statements were used including insults and curses to the second party and his political affiliation.
Although the law 174 of 2005 amended by Decree No. 12 of 2012 prohibits the propaganda activities in the day before the run-off, but followers of the network spotted the supporters of the candidates violating the prohibition in front of a number of committees and the guidance to voters
But what is good in terms of management and executive authority is that they have dealt positively with these violations and arrested most of the perpetrators and turned a number of them to the competent authorities, and the Supreme Commission for Elections has extended the mandate of the committee chairs for a distance of half km of the committees to ensure that there are no violations.
The officers of the network had received statements of using money on a limited scale, whether in the form of ration commodities or cash in the form of money given to the voters, and the complaints in this regard received from both parties.
Other Comments
1. Network observers monitored the spread of fears related to the distribution of pens with secret ink to voters removed away after voting of half an hour. This incident is confirmed by the Presidential Election Commission, and this requires extensive investigation into the source of these pens.
2. Scratched cards were discovered at its source (AL-Amiriya Printing). It is a government body, and most of these draft cards in favor of the candidate, Dr. Mohamed Morsi, and some drafts were in favor of the candidate, Ahmed Shafiq. The management committees have been successful in the discovery of most of these cases.
Conclusion and recommendations
Election Network in the Arab world see that the Egyptian presidential election run-off was approaching to a large extent of standards of integrity and freedom internationally recognized, and is characterized by good administrative behavior, impartial and highly efficient.
However, the network believes that the tense propaganda rhetoric between both candidates, as well as some of the violations committed by their supporters, is not a welcome matter at all, and calls on all parties to the political work in Egypt to rise above the level of political skills to contribute to the efforts aimed at cutting the imam’s step on the path to democracy.
In this context, the network offers some initial recommendations in light of our observations during the run-off: -
1. Tightening the legal procedures on violators of the election silence rules, as well as on the advertisements that include slamming and sparking the other candidate.
2. The media play an enlightening role regarding citizens' acceptance of the election results.
3. Investigate the incidents of leakage of pre-blackened cards, as well as the incident of pens with secret ink