[This entry was updated to account for Egyptian authorities’ decision dated 25 November to keep polling stations open for two consecutive days in each voting stage during the parliamentary lower house elections.]
Egypt population: (est.) 85 million
Citizens eligible to vote: (approx.) 50 million
Parliamentary composition: bicameral
- The People’s Assembly: the lower house
- The Shura Council: upper consultative house
People’s Assembly elections: Conducted over three stages, each involving polling in nine governorates (out of total 27 governorates). Run-off elections are held a week later between front-runners in single-winner races where none of the candidates got 50%+ of the total vote.
The Assembly is elected, for the first time ever, through a mixed electoral system, whereby two-thirds of the total elected seats are chosen in accordance with a proportional representation list system, while the remaining one-third is elected in accordance with an individual candidacy system.
Polling dates: The election of the People’s Assembly begins on 28 November and ends on 10 January.
Peoples Assembly elections stage #1:
- Polling: 28-29 November; Run-offs: 5-6 December
- In response to court orders, the Higher Elections Commission announced that election results for "Al-Sahel" district in Cairo (district #1) were annulled with respect to party list votes and single-winner race votes. It also announced that results for single-winner races were annulled for Alexandria district #3, Assiut district #2, and Assiut district #3. A re-vote will be convened for these districts on 10-11 January with runoff races scheduled for 17-18 January.
- In: Cairo, Fayoum, Port Said, Damietta, Alexandria, Kafr El-Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, and the Red Sea
Peoples Assembly elections stage #2:
- Polling: 14-15 December; Run-offs: 21-22 December
- In response to a court ruling, the Higher Election Commission announced that party-list races for the governorate of Beheira, Sohag, and Menoufia have been postponed to 21 and 22 December, because some parties were not included on the ballot paper in the second constituencies of Beheira and Sohag and Menoufia’s first constituency.
- Individual candidacy races in Sharqiya`s district #5, as well as Aswan`s party-list race, are scheduled for a re-vote on 10-11 January 2012 due to a court ruling annulling the initial results.
- In: Giza, Beni Suef, Menoufiya, Sharqiya, Ismailia, Suez, Beheira, Sohag, and Aswan
Peoples Assembly elections stage #3:
- Polling: 3-4 January; Run-offs: 10-11 January
- In: Minya, Qalioubiya, Gharbiya, Daqahliyya, North Sinai, South Sinai, Marsa Matruh, Qena, and the New Valley
People’s Assembly opening session: 23 January
- People’s Assembly total membership: 508 (10 seats less than the outgoing Assembly whose number stood at 518)
- Number of elected seats: 498
- Number of seats appointed by president (SCAF): 10
- Assembly seats elected via proportional representation list system: 332 from 46 constituencies
- Assembly seats elected via individual candidacy system: 166 from 83 constituencies
- Number of candidates running for People’s Assembly individual candidacy seats: 6,591 competing for 166 seats
- Number of party (or party-coalition) lists competing for Peoples Assembly proportional representation seats: 590 lists for 332 seats
Shura Council elections: Conducted over two stages (13 governorates in the first stage and 14 in the second). Run-off elections are held a week later between front-runners in constituencies where none of the candidates got 50%+ of the total vote.
Polling dates: Shura council elections begin on 29 January and end on 22 February.
Shura Council elections stage #1:
- Polling: 29-30 January; Run-offs: 7 February
- In: Cairo, Alexandria, Gharbiya, Daqahaliya , Menoufiya, Damietta, North Sinai, South Sinai, Fayoum, Assiut, Qena, the Red Sea and the New Valley
Shura Council elections stage #2:
- Polling: 14-15 February; Run-offs: 22 February
- In: Giza, Qalioubiya, Sharqiya, Beheira, Kafr El-Sheikh, Ismailiya, Port Said, Suez, Marsa Matrouh, Beni Suef, Minya, Sohag, Luxor and Aswan
Shura Council opening session: 28 February
- Shura Council total membership: 270 (six seats more than the outgoing Shura Council whose number stood at 264). Number of elected seats: 180, Number of seats appointed by president (SCAF): 90.
- Shura Council seats elected via proportional representation list system: 120 from 30 constituencies
- Shura Council seats elected via individual candidacy system: 60 from 30 constituencies
- Number of candidates running for Shura Council individual candidacy seats: 2,036 competing for 60 seats
- Number of party (or party-coalition) lists competing for Shura Council proportional representation seats: 272 lists for 120 seats
Total number of candidates running for individual candidacy seats in both houses: 8,627 for 226 seats(Figures released by Supreme Electoral Commission on 25 October 2011)
Election monitoring:
A Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) is tasked with supervising and monitoring parliamentary elections from beginning to end.
According to the most recent amendments of the 1956’s law on exercise of political rights, SEC is made up of purely judicial members (eleven members). The head of the SEC is Abdel-Moez Ibrahim, chairman of Cairo’s Appeal Court.
The 1956 political rights law entrusted the SEC with 16 roles and powers, on top of which are exercising full control of elections, regulating their performance and ensuring that they are entirely supervised and monitored by judges (a judge for every ballot box).
The SEC is also entrusted with selecting polling and vote-counting stations, preparing voter lists, regulating and supervising election campaigns in a way that should uphold the ban on raising religious and racial slogans and symbols.
Offenders of SEC’s regulations on election campaigns are subject to face prison sentences up to 15 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to 200,000 EGP.
Election spending limits:
The SEC has placed a 500,000 EGP ceiling on campaign expenditure for independent candidates, and 1 million EGP for party lists.
International monitoring of the election:
SEC’s chairman Abdel-Moez has stated that international monitors and media were welcome to take part in “following” – rather than officially “observing” – the upcoming parliamentary election.
Participating political parties and coalitions:
Islamist Bloc (Alliance for Egypt)
Reform and Development Party-Misruna
[Developed in partnership with Ahram Online.]
From Jadaliyya Editors:
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