Egyptians abroad begin voting in parliamentary polls` second round with embassies and consulates worldwide accepting marked ballot papers until Monday.
Egyptian nationals living overseas began voting in the second round of Egypt’s parliamentary polls on Wednesday night, having been provided with ballot papers via the Supreme Electoral Commission’s website, Egypt’s foreign affairs ministry announced.
According to ministry spokesman Amr Roushdy, all of Egypt’s embassies abroad, in addition to 11 consulates around the world, will begin receiving marked ballot papers from expatriates starting from Thursday. Marked ballot papers are to be delivered to embassies by either mail or by hand.
The voting period will end on the afternoon of Monday, 12 December, after which embassies and consulates are expected to immediately begin counting votes.
More than 190,000 Egyptians living abroad voted in the first round.
Egyptians abroad obtained the right to vote in national elections as a result of a lawsuit raised in October by political activists and expatriate campaigners. In November, Egypt’s ruling military council issued a new law regulating expat voting in both elections and national referenda.
[Develiped in partnership with Ahram Online.]