How did international newspapers view the Egyptian elections? Who is the most likely candidate?

The State Information Authority issued its first report on its monitoring of what international media publishes about the presidential elections.

Journalist Diaa Rashwan, head of the Commission, stated that the Commission’s operations room followed what was published by hundreds of media outlets in more than (10) international languages, and also followed the activity of (528) correspondents accredited to cover the elections.

Rashwan pointed out that the most prominent aspects of this monitoring of the events of the first day of the elections, from the opening of the committee headquarters at nine in the morning on Sunday (12/10/2023) until their doors closed at nine in the evening, were as follows:

1- At the media level, there were no complaints from foreign media correspondents who toured the governorates, whether individually or within groups for which the Information Service facilitated movement between committees and governorates.

2- None of the reporters, observers, or observers of all nationalities observed any violations related to the integrity of the elections or the regularity of the electoral process, whether inside or outside the committees.

3- The number of published materials doubled, especially in the American, European and Asian media, and one media outlet published several successive reports throughout the day, as did the American “Al Hurra” channel, the Chinese “Xinhua” agency, the Turkish “Anatolia” and others.

4- The negative comments were limited to referring to the general economic climate and the difficulties facing Egyptians.

5- Many reports linked the elections to the events in Gaza, indicating that the tension on the Egyptian border had a positive impact on the elections and the chances of candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

6- There was almost consensus on monitoring a heavy voter turnout at committees across the republic.

The Information Authority report stated that the international media has followed with remarkable interest the first day of the Egyptian presidential elections, in which four candidates are competing, and which will continue for three days inside the country. The international media highlighted the four candidates casting their votes since the early hours of the morning, and they are: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the head of the Egyptian National Democratic Party. The Republican People's Party, Hazem Omar, the head of the Wafd Party, Abdel-Sanad Yamama, and the head of the Egyptian Democratic Party, Farid Zahran.

The international media highlighted the National Elections Authority’s confirmation of the regularity of the voting process in most polling stations, which opened their doors to voters at nine in the morning, with “a high voting density during the first hour of the opening of polling stations.” Noting that the Commission has appointed more judges and reserve judicial body members to a number of subcommittees to speed up the pace of the voting process and reduce crowding in voter queues.

The international media indicated that about 67 million citizens - registered electronically in voter lists - have the right to vote in these elections in about 11,600 electoral committees distributed among 27 governorates in the country, with their results to be issued on the eighteenth of this month, and a few days ago the National Elections Authority announced the completion. From the stage of voting for Egyptians abroad, which was held on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of this December, at the headquarters of the Egyptian diplomatic missions, including embassies and consulates spread around the world.