Press Release
Democracy International
January 17, 2014
Findings of DI Egyptian Referendum Observation Mission
CAIRO, EGYPT – Democracy International (DI) announced today its preliminary findings on Egypt’s recent constitutional referendum held on January 14 and 15. DI deployed more than 80 international observers to 23 of Egypt’s 27 governorates, which made it the largest international observation mission to this referendum. DI’s mission observed all aspects of the referendum process, including the political context in which the referendum took place, the conduct of polling, and the count.
Democracy International has serious concerns about the political environment in which this referendum took place. The referendum took place against a backdrop of arrests and detention of dissenting voices. There was no real opportunity for those opposed to the government’s roadmap or the proposed constitution to dissent. This constrained campaign environment made a robust debate on the substance and merits of the constitution impossible. “A democratic transition should be characterized by an expansion of freedoms, but Egyptians have seen substantial restrictions on the exercise of their democratic rights,” said Eric Bjornlund, Democracy International’s president and head of the observation mission in Egypt. “But the post-referendum period offers an opportunity to promote broader political participation.”
The actual administration of the process on the referendum days appeared to allow those citizens who participated to express their will. DI observers did note specific concerns about the administration of the balloting in some locations, including the heavy presence of security forces inside polling places, problems with the layout of some polling places that could have jeopardized voters’ ability to cast a ballot in secret, and instances where campaign materials were prominently displayed inside or immediately outside polling locations. They also noted the relative absence of nonpartisan domestic observers. There is no evidence that such problems substantially affected the outcome of this referendum, but they could affect the integrity or the credibility of more closely contested electoral processes in the future.
The legitimacy of these processes is for the Egyptian people to decide. Ultimately, a successful transition to democracy in Egypt will depend on meaningful opportunities for all political forces in the society to participate peacefully in a political process. The interim government and its opponents should seek opportunities to engage in inclusive dialogue that could help bring about broader participation in the political process, including in future elections. The process of preparing for upcoming elections is an opportunity to reorient Egypt toward effective, democratic institutions that are broadly viewed as legitimate across the society.