NZ-based Egyptians to vote for first time

New Zealand-based Egyptians will be able to vote in their homeland's parliamentary and presidential elections for the first time later this year.

Egyptian Justice Minister Mansour el-Essawy today announced all Egyptians, including those living abroad, would have the opportunity to vote in the first democratic elections since the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak.

Mass pro-democracy demonstrations swept across Egypt in late January, eventually ending his autocratic 30-year rule on February 11, but not before claiming at least 846 lives.

"Both Egyptians living in Egypt and abroad will be allowed to vote with their national identity cards," Mr el-Essawy said following a cabinet meeting to discuss new voting procedures.

Egyptian Association of Canterbury president Ola Kamel said the move represented the birth of democracy in her homeland.

"It means a lot to us, it means that there is really a huge difference in Egypt and that everyone can participate in a democratic way in choosing the president and this will be the first time," she said.

"It means that we are Egyptians living overseas but we still Egyptian and we have our voice to be heard."

Mrs Kamel, who has been living in Christchurch for 15 years, said the opportunity to vote also presented several problems.

Some expatriates did not have national identity cards and would have to apply for them through the Egyptian embassy in Canberra, Australia.

"We just hope that they get back to us as soon as possible so we can participate in the elections," she said.

"You know, our children kept asking us during the unrest in Egypt how many times did you elect him (Mubarak)? So I said, never, we didn't elect him.

"They were very astonished and they didn't understand how come he's been ruling for 30 years and none of us elected him."

Accurate information about candidates and their policies could also be a problem, Mrs Kamel said.

"This is one of the biggest problems for us because yes, we have Arabic TV and we can get some sort of news and information, but this should be the role of the embassy they should send us a profile about every candidate, what's his plan for Egypt, what's his priorities, what he's planning to do with certain important issues."

Mrs Kamel said family and friends in Egypt also had serious concerns about the elections.

"We speak to them everyday ... they themselves are still hesitant, they don't know who to elect because democracy has just been born in Egypt so no one knows how it works," she said.

"It's not like here, we know what to do, during election time you get leaflets, you get information so you know who you will elect. But this is a brand new process in Egypt so they don't know what to do."

Egyptians will vote for a new Parliament in September and a new president later in the year.

The military council that has ruled Egypt since Mubarak was ousted must approve the cabinet's decision on voting before drafting it into law.

In March, the council approved a new law that lifted restrictions on the formation of political parties, freeing up a political scene long dominated by Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP). The NDP was dissolved last week.

Opposition leaders, activists and protesters had said last year's parliamentary elections, in which the NDP won a majority, was full of abuses and vote rigging which made it the most fraudulent ever under Mubarak's rule.

- NZPA