EGYPT: Arab League head Nabil Elaraby votes in Egyptian presidential run-off election

Record ID: 327802

  • Title: EGYPT: Arab League head Nabil Elaraby votes in Egyptian presidential run-off election
  • Date: 17th June 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JUNE 16, 2012) (REUTERS) ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL, NABIL ELARABY, ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION ELARABY SPEAKING TO EGYPTIAN TOURISM MINISTER, MUNIR FAKHR ABDUL NOUR ELARABY WALKING THROUGH POLLING STATION GROUNDS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL, NABIL ELARABY, SAYING: "The Egyptian people went to Tahrir square and asked for freedom and democracy and social justice, and this is being realised. But everything takes time. Don't be in a hurry: everything takes time. [Journalist asking: What about the choice in the race between a religious or civil state?] I am personally for a civil state, without any hesitation." VARIOUS OF ELARABY REGISTERING TO VOTE ELARABY CASTING HIS BALLOT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL, NABIL ELARABY, SAYING: "All the people are very happy to go to the election and I hope there will be droves and droves of people waiting here to vote. That's very important: to exercise your right to say what will happen to your own country. It is the first time ever that Egyptians have the right to go and vote like this." ELARABY EXITING POLLING STATION
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADATHYIJJ139PG25K7OXPKIUFS
  • Story Text: The head of the Arab League today joined other Egyptians to head to the polls as he cast his own vote in a landmark run-off election on Saturday (June 16).
    The election has been plunged into controversy after a court order two days ago to dissolve a new parliament dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, leading many people to question whether the wealthy generals who pushed aside their fellow officer Hosni Mubarak last year to appease the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring will honour a pledge to let civilians rule.
    With neither a parliament nor a new constitution in place to define the president's powers, voting on Saturday and Sunday will not settle the matter, leaving 82 million Egyptians, foreign investors and allies in the United States and Europe unsure what kind of state the most populous Arab nation will be.
    Arab League head Nabil Elaraby, said in Cairo that democracy 'takes time.'
    "The Egyptian people went to Tahrir square and asked for freedom and democracy and social justice, and this is being realized. But everything takes time. Don't be in a hurry: everything takes time. [Journalist asking: What about the choice in the race between a religious or civil state?] I am personally for a civil state, without any hesitation," he said.
    Elaraby also urged all Egyptians to go out and vote.
    "All the people who very happy to go to election and I hope there will be droves and droves of people waiting here to vote, that's very important -- to exercise your right to say what will happen to your own country. It is the first time ever that Egyptians had the right to go and vote like this," he said.
    For Egyptians who preferred the secular centrists, leftists and moderate Islamists who lost in the first round, the two-man run-off leaves an unpalatable choice from the extremes.
    Some of Egypt's 50 million eligible voters say they will spoil their ballots rather than back Ahmed Shafik, 70, a former air force commander who was Mubarak's last prime minister, or Mohamed Mursi , 60, of the Brotherhood, the clandestine enemy of army rule for six decades.
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