Egypt's interim Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on Sunday asked the UN to share its expertise for the country's upcoming elections.
He requested UN help especially in managing expatriate Egyptians' votes. Expatriate numbers are estimated at more than 6 million.
The prime minister's call was made after meeting the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) director, Helen Clark, in Cairo. Minister of Communication and Information Technology Maged Othman also attended.
During the meeting, Sharaf stressed Egypt's capability to achieve a democratic transition, emphasizing the need to build confidence between citizens and authorities as the first step and top priority. He said the ousted regime of president Hosni Mubarak left a legacy of mistrust between the people and government, and expressed a hope that civil society organizations will play a role in restoring trust.
Clark expressed the UNDP’s readiness to share expertise for Egypt’s transition, especially in terms of managing transparent elections.
