27/03/2018

Egypt tries to boost voter turnout with incentives, threats

CAIRO (AP) ? One manager threatened employees to get them to vote ? and then checked for telltale ink-stained fingers as they clocked in the next day. A regional governor pledged improved water and sanitation service to towns with a high turnout. Some people were promised more food and even cash if they went to the polls. With President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi running virtually unopposed in this week#8217;s election, Egypt#8217;s leadership has made clear it considers a high turnout crucial to ensuring that the balloting has credibility. For months ahead of the balloting that began Monday and runs through Wednesday, pro-government media have pushed the message that voting was a patriotic...
© Alberico Barattieri 1989-2021 eccetto ove indicato diversamente