Cairo clarifies election stance for expats

CAIRO, May 13 (UPI) -- Claims made by military sources this week that Egyptian expatriates wouldn't be allowed to vote in upcoming elections are baseless, authorities said.

A military source told Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm on condition of anonymity this week that the ruling security council didn't see why expatriates would want to vote.

"Votes abroad would not reflect constituents' true will because the existence of electorate blocs would facilitate vote buying," the source said. The same source alleged that authorities were faced with logistical hurdles in processing the votes of the estimated 4 million Egyptians living abroad.

The ruling military council in Cairo denied the claims saying such rumors were meant to disrupt the unity of the Egyptian people, the Egyptian newspaper reports.

Egypt is to have elections later this year to replace the government after Hosni Mubarak was ousted from office as president early this year.

Egyptian diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohammed ElBaradei and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa are leading contenders for presidential elections in September.