Cairo: Egypt on Thursday held the latest phase of
the Parliament election to elect a civilian leadership that
would take over from the ruling military council which has
been governing the country since a popular uprising ended
President Hosni Mubarak`s 30-year rule.
Citizens were lined up in queues outside polling stations
amid tight security during the second round of the three-stage
polls taking place in Cairo`s twin city of Giza; Beni Sueif,
south of the capital; the Nile Delta provinces of Menufiya,
Sharqiya and Beheira; the canal cities of Ismailiya and Suez,
and the southern cities of Sohag and Aswan.
Islamist parties, which clinched two thirds of the votes
in the opening stage of the election, is set to dominate the
election.
The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which got maximum
seats in the opening phase through its Freedom and Justice
Party (FJP), was determined to keep the momentum going as it
asked its supporters to come out an vote in large numbers.
Asked about the possibility of extending the time of
voting after 7:00 pm local time, Election commission chairman
Abdel Moez Ibrahim said polling stations will remain open
until all voters in the line have cast their ballots.
Speaking at a press conference today, he said
High Elections Commission (HEC) had not receive a single
compliant after the opening of the electoral stations today.
He did not set a date to announce the results of the
second phase of the polls.
Ibrahim acknowledged that despite efforts to prevent it,
campaigning had been reported in several polling stations.
Egyptians will choose an upper house in a further
three rounds of polls after the voting for the lower house of
parliament gets over in January.
PTI
