The Minister of Interior, Habib al-Adli, vowed today to address attempts to foment unnecessary, election-related violence with police.
Clashes will effectively mar the poll, he said.
Media spokesperson for the ministry, Tareq Ateyya, said police will only be present at polling stations in exceptional cases, where station heads request assistance.
The High Elections Commission (HEC), meanwhile, has said polling stations will remain open to voters from 8AM to 7PM. Only voters already inside polling stations before 7PM will be allowed to vote after that time.
The HEC will work to maintain calm during the election process to ensure voters can safely and easily cast their votes, said Ahmed Shawqi, a member of the commission.
The HEC has received five complaints, thus far–two from the Dekernes district, Daqahliya, one from the Ganayen district, Suez, and another two from the Port Tawfiq and Dawahi districts, Port Said.
Shawqi said the complaints largely revolve around prevention from voting and clashing outside polling stations.
