Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Egypt heads to parliamentary polls as el-Sissi seeks to strengthen control over country

by ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAIRO Oct 24, 2020 - 11:14 am GMT+3
People queue to cast their votes during the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections in Giza, Egypt, Oct. 24, 2020. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
People queue to cast their votes during the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections in Giza, Egypt, Oct. 24, 2020. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
by ASSOCIATED PRESS Oct 24, 2020 11:14 am
RECOMMENDED
A Kuwaiti judge and his aides count the ballots at a polling station for parliamentary elections, in the Abdullah al-Salem district of Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 6, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Kuwaitis vote to give opposition lawmakers parliament majority

KUWAIT

Egyptians began voting Saturday in the first stage of a parliamentary election, a vote that is highly likely to produce a toothless House of Representatives packed with supporters of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

The elections are taking place as the Arab world’s most populous country faces a slight increase in coronavirus cases, with authorities warning that a second wave of the pandemic lies ahead.

Like the Senate elections in August, Egyptian election authorities said face masks would be handed out to voters for free and polling stations were disinfected.

Some 63 million voters are eligible to vote in the two-stage election, with results announced in early December. Election authorities reiterated previous warnings that those who boycott the vote could be fined up to 500 Egyptian pounds ($32).

A total of 568 seats are up for grabs, with over 4,000 candidates running as individuals competing for 50% of the seats. Prominent, wealthy government-affiliated power brokers have an advantage.

The other 50% of House seats are reserved for over 1,100 candidates running on four party lists. El-Sissi will name 28 seats, or 5%, bringing the total number of seats in the chamber to 596.

The first stage of voting was taking place Saturday and Sunday in 14 of Egypt’s 27 provinces, including Giza and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. Egyptian expatriates abroad voted earlier this week.

Voting in the country’s 13 other provinces, including the capital Cairo and the two provinces on the Sinai Peninsula, will take place on Nov. 7-8. Each stage of the vote will be followed by runoff elections.

Final results will be announced in December and the new chamber will hold its inaugural session shortly afterward.

The vote is taking place amid an atmosphere in which public criticism of the government is strongly discouraged. Most Egyptian media are supportive of el-Sissi and regularly berate critics as traitors or supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group.

El-Sissi seized the presidency in 2014 after leading a military coup against Egypt's first-ever democratically President Mohamed Morsi.

In recent years, authorities have ratcheted up their crackdown on dissent, targeting political opponents, pro-democracy activists, journalists and online critics. The tactic has left the president and his supporters with no formal political opposition.

Critics say the 596-seat legislature will be like the previous one, which was little more than a rubber stamp for el-Sissi's policies, leaving the general-turned-president with almost unchecked power.

The pro-government Mustaqbal Watan, or "Nation’s Future,” party has the largest number of individual candidates, with 284 individual candidates in the two stages.

RECOMMENDED
A Kuwaiti judge and his aides count the ballots at a polling station for parliamentary elections, in the Abdullah al-Salem district of Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 6, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Kuwaitis vote to give opposition lawmakers parliament majority

KUWAIT
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Oct 24, 2020 12:16 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    egypt abdel fattah el-sissi
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Brazil's Dani Alves in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Brazil and South Korea at Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar, Dec. 5, 2022. (Getty Images Photo)

    Dani Alves remains in jail as new rape case's harrowing details unfold

    DANI-ALVES
    Through ground-penetrating radar scans conducted underneath Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır, massive structures belonging to Rome's 3,000-year-old garrison were detected, Diyarbakır, Türkiye, June 5, 2023. (IHA Photo)

    Ancient Roman garrison unearthed at Zerzevan Castle in Türkiye

    ZERZEVAN-CASTLE

    Turkish exporters hope to clinch record of over $267B in annual sales

    foreign-trade

    Hakan Fidan: The chief diplomat of Türkiye

    HAKAN-FIDAN
    No Image
    Cute and fluffy: Beauty contest for cats in Turkey’s Sivas province
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021