Egypt’s parliament to hold second round of elections

The second round of Egypt’s parliamentary elections will start today.

The first round was characterised by low turnout (28%) and the domination of the pro-government coalition led by the Mostakbal Watan party. The ballot took place in 14 of the country’s 27 governorates, including Alexandria, Giza, Luxor and the Red Sea. The remaining 13 governorates (including the capital city, Cairo) will vote to elect their representatives today and tomorrow. As in the first phase, the number of seats allocated for this stage is 284—142 seats for individual candidates and 142 for electoral lists.

This is the third election in less than two years since the 2019 referendum, which allows President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to remain in power until 2030. With both chambers overwhelmingly supportive of the president, el-Sisi’s power will be reinforced. However, the low electoral turnout could be seen as an indication of a legitimacy deficit.

The final results will be announced in December. Expect the pro-government coalition to secure a landslide victory in a low turnout election. This will allow el-Sisi to have full control of the country’s levers of power at least until 2024, when the next presidential elections should be held.