Egyptian Minister of Information Anas al-Fiqqi has demanded the High Elections Commission investigate what he described a violation of the temporary ban on electoral propaganda by the Washington-based satellite channel "Al-Hurra."
Al-Fiqqi previously declared Saturday a day of elections silence, imploring the media to follow the law and decisions of the commission.
The Al-Hurra channel broadcast Saturday morning an episode from the series "Cairo Conversation," which featured as guests Madeeha Khetab, an NDP candidate running for a women's quota seat in Cairo, and Gameela Ismaeel, a candidate in the Qasr al-Nil district.
Al-Fiqqi said Al-Hurra's program breached the electoral commission's binding resolution halting electoral propaganda during the 24 hours before voting begins.
The Minister of Information, however, did not address violations of the commission's instructions by Egyptian newspapers, which published a number of paid political advertisements.
The fact that the minister has demanded an investigation into Al-Hurra while the national press are running both political advertisements and editorials indirectly supporting some NDP candidates has been criticized by election monitors.
