Egypt has experienced a lot of political changes within the past nine months i.e. after the 25th January Revolution. Today, there are dozens of new political parties. Everyone is openly campaigning for political power as the freest parliamentary election in decades is underway.
Egyptian voters have just completed run-offs today for the first round of an election that has most of its votes won by Islamic Parties, a clear indication that the first parliament since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak shall see clean changes.
Although the results are incomplete, there is a strong confirmation from the votes in Cairo, Alexandria and seven other regions for the newly formed Salafi’s Nour Party having secured the second largest share with 24 percent of ballots after the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, which led with 37 percent. The secular Egyptian Bloc came third with about 13 percent of votes.
This is Egypt’s first election since the dismissal of Mubarak in February which consists of two more rounds covering the country’s remaining 18 governorates. Many polling stations yesterday had few voters compared to the crowds that had lined up during the first vote.
The election is to take about seven weeks
Egypt is divided into 27 governorates and this makes the voting to be divided into three rounds; each having nine governorates voting on the same day. The second round, which covers Giza, Suez, Ismailia and six other governorates, began yesterday for Egyptians living abroad. Local voters in those provinces go the polls on Dec. 14. The third round begins on Jan. 3 and final results are due 10 days later.
– R. Issah, Cairo –
