CAIRO: A 500 EGP ($70) fine will be imposed on eligible voters who do not exercise their right to vote in the parliamentary elections, the head of the High Elections Committee Ayman Abbas was quoted by Youm7 Sunday.
Abbas cited Article 57 of Egypt’s Political Participation Law which imposes a fine of 500 EGP on “anyone registered in the database of voters who fails, without justification, to cast his vote in an election or referendum.”
The article has been present since the law was issued in 1956 but it has never been applied.
On Saturday, Egyptians abroad began casting votes in embassies and consulates in 139 countries in the first parliamentary elections since the 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
The first phase of the elections kicked off Sunday for over 27 million Egyptian voters who live in Egypt. Over 2600 candidates contest in the first phase carried out in 103 constituencies in 14 governorates.