The first report to evaluate election funding and spending in Fayoum and

Muharram Beck constituencies

Seven essential observations on the candidates financing and spending in the
first phase of the Parliamentary elections
Cairo, 24th of October
Preamble
Partners for Transparency "PFT" started in conducting its initiative to observe the election
funding and spending, in a number of constituencies, titled "Our Voices in The Face of Your
Money" since September,2015, the initiative continue till the end of the second phase of the
parliamentary elections, on Desember,2015.

The initiative aiming to conclude general indicators about the nature of the election funding and
spending in the Egyptian elections, and the incorporation of new tools scalable to be developed,
and can be used extensively later to help the CSOs, the National elections authority, media, and
parties, to observe, control and organize funds in the electoral process.

This "initial" report addressing a quantitative analysis of field observation results carried out by
the "Our Voices in The Face of Your Money" Initiative team in two constituencies in Fayoum and
Alexandria governorate, they are Muharram Beck constituency in Alexandria, which nominate 36
candidates to its seats, and Fayoum city constituency, nominated for its seats 27 candidates.

The observation process included the full list of Muharram Beck candidates constituency (36
candidates), while it included (only 21 candidates) from Fayoum constituency. due to unable to
reach the other 6 candidates in the constituency for logistical and regulatory reasons.

The observation process depended on gathering information from different sources the most
important of them, communicating with candidate or a member of his campaign, as well as
observing aspects and activities of the electoral campaign for each candidate. In addition to
collecting field testimonies from registered voters in the constituency.

A.

148 Misr Helwan El-Zyrae Road , El Matbaa Sq, Hadayek El Maadi, 11th Floor, No 112 , Cairo, Egypt

W.
www.pfort.org

E.

info@pfort.org

T.

+(20) (2)253 44 705

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+ (20) (2)253 44 704

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+ 20 1018554781

Observation period has been limited to the statutory period specified to election campaign that
stretched from a September 29th , 2015 to October 16th , 2015, carried out by the trained field
team. In addition to a specialized committee was formed in each constituency, consisting of
specialists and financial elements of both advertising and activists , all to gather.

Muharram Beck constituency in Alexandria governorate

First, the information made by the candidate or his campaign officials:

Data contained in Table No. "1" obtained directly from the candidate or one of his campaign
officials, indicates that in Muharram Beck constituency in Alexandria, the vast majority of
candidates did not write the accounts of their election campaigns in the regular record (91.7% of
candidates), as the data indicate that most of them (58%) refused to disclose the receipt of cash
donations or not, only (8.3%) of the candidates stated that they received in-kind donations, while
55% refused to disclose that.
Regarding the existence of a chartered accountant in the campaign, 19% of Muharram Beck
candidates stated that there was a chartered accountant in their campaigns, about 16% of them
stated that there was no accountant in their campaigns, while 65% refused to disclosure the
existence of a chartered accountant in their campaigns in their campaigns or not.
Table No. "1"

Information made The candidate position

by the candidate
Yes
No
The existence of a
regular register for
accounts
Receive
cash
donations
Receive
in-kind
donations
The existence of a a
chartered
accountant prepare
financial reports

Refused to answer

15

21

23

13

33

20

2P.

The main source of funding the election campaign

Data contained in Table No"2" indicates that, 65% of Muharram Beck candidates stated that the
main source of funding their campaigns is personal resources, while 35% stated that there were
other sources, such as the parties which they are on their lists.
Table No"2"

personal resources
23

Other sources" parties as example"

Second: the outlawed election funding:

13

Data contained in Table No"3" indicates that 65% of Muharram Beck candidates conducted
electoral campaigning in an earlier period of the legal decided period, 33% of them used worship
places in electoral campaigning, while no cases registered for using CSOs and governmental
facilities.
Table No"3"

the outlawed election funding

The candidate position

Yes
conducted electoral campaigning in an earlier 23
period of the legal decided period
using worship places
12
using CSOs

using governmental facilities.

0
0

No
13
24
36
36

Third, the outlawed election spending

Data contained in Table No"4" indicates that cases of bribe payment were registered for 5.5% of
Muharram Beck candidates, the field observers also, registered that same percentage provided
electoral promises.

3P.

Table No"4"
the outlawed election funding

The candidate position

Distributing electoral bribes

Yes
2

No
34

Promised to distribute in-kind or cash bribes

43

Distributing in-kind bribes

Fourth: the transparency of the election funding and spending

36

Data contained in Table No"5" indicates that only one candidate in Muharram Beck constituency
Keen to announce the bank account number of his electoral campaign, also, only one candidate
disclosed the funding sources of his campaign for voters, while no candidate disclosed the
amount of the election spending for his electoral campaign.
Table No"5"

the outlawed election funding

The candidate position

Announcement of the bank account number

Disclosure of the sources of campaign funding

Disclosure of the election spending

Yes

No

35

Fayoum city constituency, in Fayoum governorate:

35
36

First, the information made by the candidate or his campaign officials:

Data contained in Table No. "6" obtained directly from the candidate or one of his campaign
officials, indicates that in Fayoum city constituency in Fayoum governorate, which included 21
candidates from the total of 27 candidates, where 6 candidates of the constituency's candidates
were un reachable, the vast majority of candidates did not write the accounts of their election
campaigns in the regular record (65.7% of candidates), the data also, indicates that the vast
majority of candidates (90.7% of candidates) stated that they have not received any cash
4P.

donations for their electoral campaign funding, while most of them (57.5% of candidates) stated
that they have received cash donations.

Regarding the existence of no a chartered accountant in the campaign, 76% of Fayoum city
candidates stated that there was no a chartered accountant in their campaigns, while 14% stated
that there was a chartered accountant in their electoral campaign.
Table No. "6"

Information made The candidate position

by the candidate
Yes
No
The existence of a
regular register for
accounts
Receive
cash
donations
Receive
in-kind
donations
The existence of a a
chartered
accountant prepare
financial reports

14

19

16

Refused to answer

12

The main source of funding the election campaign

Data contained in Table No"7" indicates that, all candidates of Fayoum city constituency in
Fayoum governorate stated that the main source of funding their campaigns is personal
resources.
Table No"7"

personal resources
21

Second: the outlawed election funding:

Other sources" parties as example"

0

Data contained in Table No"8" indicates that (28.6%) of Fayoum city constituency in Fayoum
governorate, candidates conducted electoral campaigning in an earlier period of the legal decided
period, while no cases registered for using worship places CSOs and governmental facilities in the
electoral campaigns.
5P.

Table No"8"
the outlawed election funding

The candidate position

Yes
conducted electoral campaigning in an earlier 6
period of the legal decided period
using worship places
0
using CSOs

using governmental facilities.

No
15
21
21
21

Third, the outlawed election spending

Data contained in Table No"9" indicates that there were no registered cases of pay financial
bribes for voters from candidates, in Fayoum city constituency in Fayoum governorate, the field
observers also, did not register any cases of providing in-kind bribes or electoral promises of
financial or in-kind bribes .
Table No"9"

the outlawed election funding

The candidate position

Distributing electoral bribes

Yes
0

No
21

Promised to distribute in-kind or cash bribes

21

Distributing in-kind bribes

21

Fourth: the transparency of the election funding and spending

Data contained in Table No"10" indicates that (80.1% of candidates) in Fayoum city constituency
did not disclose the bank account number of their electoral campaigns, also, the same percentage
did not disclose the funding sources of their campaigns, while (90%) of them did not disclose the
amount of their election spending for their electoral campaigns.

6P.

Table No"10"
the outlawed election funding

The candidate position

Announcement of the bank account number

Yes

Announcement of the sources of campaign 4

funding
Announcement of the election spending

No
17
17
19

The final conclusions

The results of quantitative analysis for the field observation of the candidates in Muharram Back
constituency, in Alexandria, and Fayoum city constituency, in Fayoum governorate. Revealed a
set of significant results, most of it represents a violation for the election funding and spending
rules, governed by the law of exercise political rights, and it can be summed up the most
important observations and their implications in the following points:

1. First observation : candidates in the both observed constituencies did not commit to
write their accounts related to their electoral campaigns in regularly records in the form
prescribed by the law of exercises political rights, which is the violation that committed by
the majority of the candidates in the both constituencies, what open the door before
questioning the real values of the expenses of the electoral campaigns of these candidates.

2. Second observation: was most prominent in Muharram Beck constituency, is the absence
of transparency and disclosure of the various aspects of the electoral campaign of the
candidate, it was clearly evident in the candidates majority refusing to disclose the
donations they received, or their denial to these donations. As reflected in the two
constituencies in respect of the vast majority of candidates refusing to disclose their bank
accounts number, the real values of their campaign expenses and the sources of funding,
for the voters in the constituencies, despite the law of exercising political rights including
a clear gap in that. Where it does not put regulations in this regard. However, the political
harmonization and the rules of fairness and transparency were required of the candidates
to do so.
7P.

3. The third observation: regarding practicing the electoral campaign out of its legal
timings, this observation was more prominent in Muharram Beck than Fayoum city,
where the most of Muharram Beck constituency conducted an electoral campaigning out
of its official timings. Which is a clear violation of the organizing rules stated in the law of
exercising political rights.

4. Fourth observation: regarding paying electoral bribes, which have been observed on a
limited scale in Muharram Beck constituency, of Alexandria province, while no similar
cases were observed in Fayoum city constituency.
5. Fifth observation: which considered a positive observation, no cases were observed to
the use of CSOs or governmental facilities, in the electoral campaigning process, at the
both observed constituencies, while a limited cases were observed for the use of worship
places in Muharram Beck, Alexandria.

6. Sixth observation: regarding the existence of a chartered accountant in the candidates'

campaigns, the observation results revealed in the two constituencies that, the vast
majority of the candidates do not include their campaigns chartered accountants as stated
by the law of exercising political rights, which opens the door to randomized of funding
and spending, and the problematic of financial reporting later, and reducing trust rates in
reality of income and expenses related to campaigns of candidates.

7. Seventh observation: Related to the difference between the two constituencies in the
extent and nature of the relevant election funding and spending irregularities, that
Fayoum city constituency much better than Muharram Beck constituency, which indicates
that political money, and the related Irregularities were more present and more
prominent in Muharram Beck constituency than, Fayoum city constituency. Perhaps the
cultural, social and economic context in both constituencies have an important role in this.

8P.