28,000 UAE Egyptians register online to vote

DUBAI // More than 28,000 Egyptian expatriates are believed to have registered online in the Emirates to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary elections as the week-long global electronic registration ended yesterday.

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Of this, a group of volunteers helped register more than 3,000 fellow citizens in the first democratic vote since the removal of President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year.

"We have helped people register in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman," said Alamir Al Sheikh, a planning manager, who is one of about 15 volunteers at the Egyptian Club in Dubai.

He said on the country's election commission's website that more than 28, 000 expatriates in the UAE had registered online.

It is, however, a fraction of the estimated 320,000 Egyptians living in the country.

Mr Al Sheikh said that electronic voting was possible and expatriates could fill a form online, print it and drop it into ballot boxes at the diplomatic missions either on the date of the election - expected to be on November 28 - or two days before.

But the Egyptian consulate said it was yet to receive directives. "We should receive directives in writing in 48 hours," said Mohab Nasr, the consul general.

The volunteers, along with the election commission, will supervise the elections on the day.

pkannan@thenational.ae