Egyptians set to vote for new parliament

Cairo: Egyptians will begin casting votes on Sunday to elect their first parliament in more than three years amid expectations that loyalists of President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi will make massive gains.

Voters in 14 of Egypt’s 27 governorates, including the country’s second biggest city Alexandria, will cast their ballots on Sunday and Monday, marking the first phase of the long-delayed elections.

The second round of the elections will be held in the 13 other governorates, including Cairo, on November 22 and 23.

Eligible voters are estimated at 55.6 million, including 27.4 million in the first stage. Around 5,420 candidates running as independents or on tickets of political parties are vying for the 568 seats in the assembly or the House of Representatives.

Al Sissi, who has been wielding legislative powers since becoming president last year, has the right to appoint 28 more members.

A controversial election law sets out 448 seats in the House — 80 per cent of the seats for which elections are held — for individuals, with the remaining 120 seats left for party-based lists. The system has drawn criticism from some quarters since it is seen as handing an advantage to wealthy contenders with wide patronage networks and strong family links.