CAIRO: Egyptian High Elections Commission (HEC) decided Tuesday to cancel voting for expatriates in the 2015 parliament elections in Libya, Yemen, and Syria, stated HEC Chairperson Ayman Abbas.
The HEC also called on Egyptian diplomats abroad to accelerate locating electoral stations in Egyptian embassies and consulates worldwide.
Egyptian expatriates are scheduled to cast their votes in the election in two phases: the first round beginning Oct. 17 and 18 while the second will be carried out on Nov. 21 and 22. The expats should have ID numbers or passports to cast their votes in 139 stations, and the process will be monitored by international organizations and civil society representatives.
Egypt has closed their diplomatic offices in the aforementioned countries due to the security and political turmoil; Yemen has witnessed since January an armed conflict between the Saudi Arabia-backed government army forces and Iran-backed Houthis.
On January 2014, Egypt evacuated its diplomatic staff from Libya after five diplomats have been kidnapped in Tripoli that Islamists took control over.
Former President Mohamed Morsi announced in June 2013 a severance of diplomatic relations with Syria; since then the relations have not resumed.
