Runoff for second phase of Egypt's parliament elections kicks off

Voters in Egypt headed Tuesday to polling stations to cast ballots in the runoff of the second phase of parliamentary elections.

Polling stations in 13 governorates, including the capital of Cairo, opened their doors again for voters for the final two-day runoffs of the country's long-awaited legislative elections.

Some 27.5 million voters are invited to cast their votes in the second round. Around 25.5 million were eligible in the first stage.

According to the High Election Committee (HEC), there were some 2,893 candidates contesting over 222 seats for individuals in the second round, while only nine candidates successfully securing their seats and the others entering the runoffs.

At the same time, "For the Love of Egypt" list, one of the most loyal to the president, managed to garner all the 60 seats assigned for party-based lists during the second stage of the polls.

Voters' turnout rate of the second and final stage of polls stood at 29.83 percent, a little bit higher than that of the first stage, which was 26.56 percent, HEC said at a press conference after the second stage voting.

Without a parliament for three years after the previous assembly was dissolved in June 2012, it is the country's first parliamentary election since former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted by the army in 2013.

The new parliament will consist of 596 seats, 448 of which will be for individuals, 120 for winners from party-based lists and the remaining 28 will be appointed by the president.

The polls will mark the last milestone in Egypt's three-stage roadmap to democracy, after adopting the new constitution and holding the presidential elections. Endit