Egypt begins 2nd day vote for key parliament
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Xinhua, November 29, 2011
Egyptians go to the polls on a second day in the first stage of the People's Assembly (lower house of parliament) elections on Tuesday.
Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. (0600GMT) in the nine governorates including Cairo and Alexandria. People waited in long queues to cast their ballots in some areas.
Monday, the first day of the parliamentary elections, saw millions of Egyptians flock to the polls. The voting time was extended two hours to end at 9:00 p.m. (1900GMT). The high turnout was rare during the Mubarak era over the past three decades.
Abdel Ibrahim, chairman of the High Judicial Elections Commission, told reporters Monday that the voting was smooth on the whole except that three polling stations were closed due to clashes. The voter turnout exceeded the expectations of election officials.
This is the first parliamentary polls after the fall of Hosni Mubarak in February and is held amid anti-government protests. The parliament, which had been elected at the end of 2010, was dissolved on Feb. 13 by the supreme military council which took over power from Mubarak.
About 17 million eligible voters are expected to go to 3,809 polling stations in the first stage. Around 2,357 independent candidates will contest 57 seats, while 1,452 party candidates will compete for 112 seats.
The People's Assembly polls are held over three stages, each with a run-off one week after the vote. The whole process will finish on Jan. 10 and the final results will be announced by Jan. 13.
According to the amended parliamentary law, the People's Assembly has 508 seats, including 10 that may be appointed by the president of the republic. Members of the People's Assembly will serve a term of five years.
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