Egypt begins voting in parliamentary elections

 Egyptians head to the polls on Monday to elect a new parliament.

The opening of polling stations at 9:00am marks the start of a weeks-long process to fill 568 of the 596 seats in the lower house, with some provinces not voting for another two weeks.

The remaining 28 lawmakers will be appointed directly by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

Egyptians abroad cast their ballots on Friday and Saturday. In regions such as Alexandria, voters have until Tuesday to cast their ballots in a first round. Some regions including Cairo will not vote until November 24.
Final results are expected by December 25.

Voters stand in a booth before casting their ballots during the first round of parliamentary elections in Giza. AP

Half of the seats will be filled through closed party lists and the other half by individual candidates, with a quarter of the seats reserved for women.

The parliamentary vote comes more than two months after elections for the senate, the upper chamber, which saw a low turnout of about 17 per cent.

The pro-government "National List for Egypt" coalition swept that vote, running unopposed in the party list race. The coalition is expected to dominate again.

A woman votes at a school used as a polling station in Giza. Reuters

The pro-Sisi Mostaqbal Watan (Nation's Future) party and the National Front party — headed by former minister Essam al-Gazzar — lead the 12-member coalition.

Gazzar's newly formed party brings together former government officials and has the financial backing of business tycoon Ibrahim Al Organi, a close Sisi ally.

Opposition groups, meanwhile, remain divided. Some parties are running independently while others have joined pro-government lists.

Agence France-Presse