Egypt announces partial results of first round of legislative elections

Egypt announces partial results of first round of legislative elections
        



Egypt’s Electoral Commission on Thursday announced partial results of the first round of the three- stage parliamentary elections held on Wednesday in eight governorates.


Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party ( NDP) has commanded a clear lead over opposition parties in the vote, according to the results released by the commission.


The NDP won 31 of the 35 seats decided by the Wednesday ballot and its candidates have entered run-offs for most of 66 seats so far undecided. The run-offs will be held next Tuesday.


The Muslim Brotherhood, a banned but largely tolerated group, has won three seats in the first round elections. The group has fielded more than 100 candidates as independents in the election race.


The National Front for Political and Constitutional Change, an opposition alliance formed by 10 major opposition parties and the Kefaya (Enough) movement, had won no seats and none of the recognized opposition parties will take part in the run-offs for the 66 seats still undecided.


Ayman Nour, leader of Egypt’s opposition Al Ghad (Tomorrow) party, lost to NDP candidate Yehya Wahdan in Cairo’s Bab al- Shariya constituency, said Electoral Commission Secretary General Intissar Nessim.


Leading NDP figures, including parliament speaker Fathi Sorour, Finance Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali and two other government ministers, held their seats in Wednesday’s voting, he said, without giving further details.


Under a decree issued by Mubarak, the legislative elections will proceed in three stages from Wednesday.


The second stage scheduled on Nov. 20 will cover Alexandria, Beheira, Ismailia, Port Said, Suez, Qaliobiya, Gharbiya, Fayoum and Qena. The third stage will be held on Dec. 1 in Dakahliya, Sharqiya, Kafr El Sheikh, Damietta, Sohag, Aswan, the Red Sea, North Sinai and South Sinai.


According to the decree, a run-off will be held six days after the first round of voting in each stage between two candidates who receive the most votes but fail to get the required 50 percent plus one vote to win a seat.


The decree also said that the newly-elected parliament should convene for the first time after the run-off of the third stage on Dec. 7.


Every five years, 444 members of the 454-seat People’s Assembly will be elected by an absolute majority vote in 222 two-member constituencies. The president himself appoints the remaining 10 seats in the parliament.


Source: Xinhua