Egypt’s Symbolic Election Was Devoid of Democratic Content

Washington
June 2, 2014

Marking the release of the May edition of the Egypt Democracy Compass, Freedom House issued the following statement about the state of democratic governance in the country:

“Last month’s election, with its disturbingly low turnout and extensive violations of democratic norms, represented a sad bookend to Egypt’s postcoup transition,” said Vanessa Tucker, vice president for analysis. “The current environment, in which virtually all political opposition is suppressed and criminalized, is patently incompatible with a free and fair vote, and the Egyptian people seem to have recognized that by staying home in large numbers during the arbitrarily extended election period. With its new constitution and now a nominally elected president, the leadership is grasping at the symbols of legal and democratic legitimacy, but it shows no understanding of the rule of law or democracy in practice. Only a dramatic change in course can put the country back on the path to genuine democracy.”

Egypt is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2014, Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2014, and Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2013.

http://www.freedomhouse.org/article/egypts-symbolic-election-was-devoid-democratic-content#.U40KwChA2zI