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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Egypt holds second stage of parliament election

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CAIRO: Egyptians began voting on Saturday in the second phase of a parliamentary election in which supporters of President Abdel Fattah al Sisi are expected to win. Some 63 million of Egypt’s more than 100 million people are eligible to elect 568 of the 596 lawmakers in the lower house, widely seen as a body for executive policies. The remaining deputies will be appointed by Sisi, a former general, whose government over the past six years has launched a severe crackdown on dissent.


The first phase of voting took place last weekend in 14 governorates including the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and the south of Egypt.


The second and final phase, which wraps up on Sunday evening, is being held in 13 governorates, including Cairo, the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal.


The new parliament will be the second to convene under Sisi, who took office in 2014 after leading the military’s ouster of president Mohamed Morsi the previous year.


The outgoing legislature, elected in 2015, was packed with Sisi supporters and featured only a small opposition bloc known as 25/30.


Runoffs are due be held later in November and in December, and the winners will take their seats in parliament in January.


The National List, a political alliance led by the pro-Al Sissi Nation’s Future Party, won 142 of the 284 seats up for grabs in the first phase of the polls, which was held late last month in 14 of Egypt’s 27 provinces.


The second stage is being held over two consecutive days in the 13 remaining provinces, including Cairo, determining the remaining 284 seats. Around 30 million eligible voters will be able to cast ballots at polling stations, which open for 12 hours from 9 am.


Al Sissi, who has been in office since 2014, cast his ballot in a polling station in Cairo’s Helipolis district, according to presidential spokesman Bassam Radi. Voter turnout in the first phase stood at 28.06 per cent, according to electoral authorities. More than 4,500 candidates have registered on one of three party alliance lists or as independents in both stages of the election. — DPA


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