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In Egypt, Elections Proceeded as NGOs Were Raided
Voting in Luxor during the first round of elections
Despite raids on its offices in Egypt shortly before parliamentary voting, NDI proceeded with the final round of its international election mission that witnessed each phase of balloting for Egypt's People's Assembly.
NDI said it was deeply troubled by the raids on its offices in Cairo, Alexandria and Assiut, as well as those on Egyptian and other international organizations. All told, there were 17 raids on 10 organizations, including the International Republican Institute, Freedom House and the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Armed Egyptian police confiscated equipment, documents and money, sealed the offices, and provided no warrant or explanation for their actions. Nearly a month after the raids, the confiscated materials have not been returned, there are ongoing interrogations and the situation remains uncertain despite efforts on many levels to resolve it.
"NDI has been operating in Egypt since 2005 in an open and transparent manner, working to assist the efforts of political parties and civic organizations seeking to take part in their country's evolving political process," said NDI President Kenneth Wollack.
NDI said it was particularly concerned that the Egyptian authorities targeted local organizations, some of which were working on observation efforts for the country's parliamentary elections. Some 400 Egyptian nongovernmental organizations are under investigation.
Since the raids, authorities have made numerous false and misleading allegations about NDI's status and work in Egypt, and the Institute issued a statement providing an accurate account of its programs and efforts to register, which have been ongoing since 2005. The statement noted that NDI has maintained an open, transparent and constructive relationship with the government, sharing information about all major program activities for the last six years.
Election Delegations
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 A voter checks a sample ballot posted outside a polling station.
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Part of NDI's work was fielding three international missions that witnessed the Nov. 28, Dec. 14 and Jan. 3 rounds of elections of the People's Assembly, the lower house of parliament. The NDI delegations included a total of 97 witnesses, with 12 long-term observers who were in the country for two and a half months.
The goal of the delegations, which each issued a report, was to provide an impartial assessment of the process and demonstrate the interest of the international community in strengthening democratic governance in Egypt.
Leading the first round delegation were Sergio Bitar, former minister and senator from Chile; Markus Meckel of Germany, former minister and member of the Bundestag; Mu Sochua, a member of parliament from Cambodia; and Les Campbell of Canada, NDI senior associate and director for the Middle East and North Africa. For the second round, the leaders were Robin Carnahan, secretary of state of Missouri; Janusz Onyszkiewicz, former minister of defense of Poland; and James Steinberg, former deputy U.S. secretary of state. Round three leaders were Genaro Arriagada, the former minister of the presidency in Chile; Audrey McLaughlin, former leader of the New Democratic Party in Canada; and Kenneth Wollack, president of NDI.
While noting some significant shortcomings in electoral procedures, the delegations said that three credible rounds of polling raised the prospect that Egypt's new parliament, which was seated Jan. 23, reflects the will of the people.
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