FILE- The National Election Authority conference announces the 2018 presidential election timeline - Egypt Today/ Amr MoustafaCAIRO – 31 January 2018: Egyptian expats in five countries will not be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election, which is set to be held in March, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdi Sanad Loza said on Thursday.Speaking in an interview with Egyptian state-run newspaper Al-Akhbar, Loza cited security issues behind this decision. “Egypt doesn’t have an embassy in Libya; therefore, no elections will be conducted there. Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, rights lawyer Khaled Ali, Parliamentarian Mortada Mansour, and Esmat al-Sadat, nephew of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat, withdrew from the race. Former Military Chief of Staff Sami Anan, who is still under military call-up service, is held by the military over accusations of forgery, as he announced running in the presidential election without gaining prior permission from the Armed Forces.Voting in the 2018 presidential election in Egypt will commence on March 26, as announced by the NEA on January 8. Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election between March 26 and 28 in Egypt, while Egyptians living aborad will vote between March 16 and 18.

Source: Egypt Today January 31, 2018 19:09 UTC