Middle East News

Egyptians vote in last day of parliamentary polling

Jan 11, 2012, 10:15 GMT

Cairo - Few Egyptians turned up on Wednesday in nine of the country's 27 governorates to cast ballots in the last day of a landmark parliamentary election, state television reported.

The election - Egypt's first since the overthrow of president Hosny Mubarak last February - has taken place in three stages since November 28. Each stage covers nine governorates.

Voting was also being held Wednesday in eight other electoral districts delayed from the previous two stages under court orders, due to irregularities.

The polling is to run until 7 pm (17 GMT) on Wednesday.

Islamist parties - all licensed following Mubarak's exit - have so far secured some 60 per cent of the seats in the lower house of parliament, or People's Assembly.

The first session of the new parliament is scheduled to be held on January 23.

The prime task of the 498-seat parliament will be to pick a committee tasked with drafting a new constitution for Egypt.