Voting resumes in Egypt
- 13 years ago
Queues form once again at polling stations across Egypt.
Voters on Thursday participated in the second day of voting in the second round of parliamentary elections - the first since the toppling of former President Hosni Mubarak.
The voters were segregated by gender - long lines of women formed outside this school in Giza, one of nine governorates that are voting in this round.
Under Mubarak, elections were widely accepted as being a sham - with the then ruling National Democratic Party guaranteed victory.
This time it's the Islamist parties that look set to succeed.
Results from the first round show the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party coming out on top with 37 percent of the vote.
The hard line Salafi al-Nour Party has been the surprise runner up with around 24 per cent.
One woman said Egypt now has a pluralistic system with genuine variety.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WOMAN VOTING IN ELECTIONS, SEKEENA ABDUL AZIZ:
"We can't go backwards and have a one party system. So it's something good that there are many diverse parties. Everyone gets to give their opinion. And, as they say, Tahrir Square is still there, and if people are not happy they will go out and make their voices heard."
The new parliament's primary job will be appointing a 100 strong assembly to draft a new constitution.
The ruling Military Council though will remain in power until presidential elections which are due to be held in June.
The army fuelled suspicions that it intends to cling on to power when it proposed inserting new articles in the constitution that would shield it from civilian scrutiny.
Simon Hanna, Reuters.
Voters on Thursday participated in the second day of voting in the second round of parliamentary elections - the first since the toppling of former President Hosni Mubarak.
The voters were segregated by gender - long lines of women formed outside this school in Giza, one of nine governorates that are voting in this round.
Under Mubarak, elections were widely accepted as being a sham - with the then ruling National Democratic Party guaranteed victory.
This time it's the Islamist parties that look set to succeed.
Results from the first round show the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party coming out on top with 37 percent of the vote.
The hard line Salafi al-Nour Party has been the surprise runner up with around 24 per cent.
One woman said Egypt now has a pluralistic system with genuine variety.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WOMAN VOTING IN ELECTIONS, SEKEENA ABDUL AZIZ:
"We can't go backwards and have a one party system. So it's something good that there are many diverse parties. Everyone gets to give their opinion. And, as they say, Tahrir Square is still there, and if people are not happy they will go out and make their voices heard."
The new parliament's primary job will be appointing a 100 strong assembly to draft a new constitution.
The ruling Military Council though will remain in power until presidential elections which are due to be held in June.
The army fuelled suspicions that it intends to cling on to power when it proposed inserting new articles in the constitution that would shield it from civilian scrutiny.
Simon Hanna, Reuters.