Egyptians vote in second phase of parliamentary elections

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CAIRO (AP) — Egyptians voted Monday in the second phase of parliamentary elections as authorities annulled first-round results in about two dozen constituencies over alleged violations.

The two-stage vote comes as the most populous Arab country grapples with dire economy despite government efforts to push through sweeping reforms and austerity measures.

International financial institutions have welcomed the reforms, which included floating the currency and slashing key subsidies, but they also resulted in higher prices of electricity, drinking water and essential goods, squeezing the poor and middle class.

The first stage of voting took place Nov. 10-11 in 14 provinces, including Giza and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. There were widespread reports of violations, prompting President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to order a review of the incidents. The National Elections Authority scheduled a rerun in 19 constituencies across seven provinces for Dec. 3-4.

Sherif Toubar, a Cairo resident, said the decision to annul some results showed that “the people’s votes are valuable and the representative who will enter the parliament must be the one the people chose.”

A total of 568 seats in the lower chamber are up for grabs, with over 2,500 candidates running as independents for half the seats. The other half is reserved for political parties, while el-Sissi will name 28 members, bringing the total number to 596.

More than 34 million people are eligible to vote in the second phase. The new parliament will be sworn in before the current chamber’s term expires in January.

Power in Egypt is concentrated with the president, who has ruled with an unquestioned grip for the past 11 years.