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Egyptian Authorities Deny Security Forces Disrupting Media Elections Coverage

Posted on: Thursday, 1 December 2005, 09:00 CST

Text of interview with Interior Ministry Spokesman Police General Ibrahim Hamad by Egyptian Channel 1 TV on 1 December

[Presenter] We now go to the [international] press centre for the 2005 parliamentary elections and we have with us General Ibrahim Hamad, assistant to the minister of interior and the official spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

General, what is the truth behind what has been said on satellite channels about preventing some media representatives from following the voting process?

[Hamad] The truth is that this is not accurate at all. You know that today, the third stage of the parliamentary elections are under way in 68 districts in nine governorates.

The 68 districts include more than 3,000 voting centres and 10,000 subsidiary [polling] stations. The brothers in the satellite channels, especially the Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya channels, talked about only two locations among all these districts and polling stations. Al-Jazeera especially said that they were prevented from filming in a polling station in Kafr al-Shaykh, at the Kafr al- Shaykh police station to be exact. This did not happen at all. They came to film, and security forces asked them for some time for reorganization at the beginning of the filming and this did not take more than 10 minutes, after which this filming began. Nothing of what they said happened actually did, like cameras being taken away or their being prevented from filming. They are filming right now.

Also, concerning Al-Arabiya, in a district in Daqahliyah, the same thing happened and this was only for reorganization and then they resumed their filming. There are no restrictions on journalists and photographers taking pictures. You know that more than 2,000 journalists are covering the elections, including a large number, more than 700 foreign journalists. I think that what Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya said was not accurate and was restricted to one district or one subsidiary polling station.

[Presenter] General, it was also reported that there was an intense security presence. Describe to us the security situation in the different districts around the nine governorates taking part in this stage.

[Hamad] Concerning security, in the nine governorates, this is comprehensive and good and is in accordance with a plan set by the minister of interior. The heads of the security systems are overseeing it in order to avoid any rioting or disruptions in any district or polling station.

You all know that we warned, from the beginning, that security would take very decisive steps if any disruption to security occurred in any district or any polling station or in front of any polling station.

Security agencies warned and said before that it had information about attempts to disrupt security in election districts or polling stations. Security agencies took pre-emptive steps in this regard and apprehended groups of thugs. Weapons, knives and blades and so forth were found on them. They were apprehended with the forbidden items and weapons on them and they have been referred to the prosecution for investigation.

We assure you once again, from the Ministry of Interior, that the ministry and its security organs will confront, with decisiveness, any disruption at polling stations. The ministry is prepared to welcome voters and guide them to the ballot box in freedom and safety.

[Presenter] General, would you agree with those who assure us that there has been a disagreement between security forces and judges, especially in the repeat round [run-off] of the second stage? And if you agree with those who say there was a disagreement, is there a chance that this disagreement will be repeated today in the third stage?

[Hamad] I assure you that there is no disagreement between judges and security agencies. The election process and its organization are being administered with full coordination between the minister of interior and the minister of justice, the head of the elections high committee. There is nothing to ruin this good atmosphere or this position, and I hope that we will not listen to any of the claims or statements which might be issued by some sides that do not fully appreciate their responsibilities.

[Presenter:] Official spokesman for the ministry of interior, General Ibrahim Hamad, thank you very much.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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