Egyptians began voting on Monday in staggered parliamentary elections to fill 568 of 596 seats in the lower house, a months-long process that critics say will further consolidate President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's hold on power.
Voting timetable and mechanics
Polling stations opened at 9:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT), kicking off a staggered ballot that will continue across provinces over the coming weeks. Egyptians living abroad voted on Friday and Saturday. In some governorates, such as Alexandria, the first round runs through Tuesday, while other areas — including Cairo — are scheduled to vote on November 24. Officials expect final results to be announced by December 25.
Of the assembly's 596 seats, 568 are being elected: half through closed party lists and half by individual candidates. A quarter of seats are reserved for women. The remaining 28 lawmakers will be appointed directly by President Sisi.
Major parties and the likely outcome
The pro-government National List for Egypt coalition — which swept the recent senate party-list contests — is widely expected to dominate the lower house as well. The 12-member alliance is led by the pro-Sisi Mostaqbal Watan (Nation's Future) party and the National Front, headed by former minister Essam al-Gazzar.
Gazzar's new party unites former government officials and has financial backing from businessman Ibrahim al-Organi, a known Sisi ally. Opposition forces remain fragmented: some parties are contesting independently while others have joined pro-government lists.
Political implications
"Sisi needs a parliament he can fully control," Timothy Kaldas of the Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy told AFP. "If he wants to stay in power beyond 2030, it's this next parliament that would have to initiate any constitutional changes to make that possible."
Under 2019 constitutional amendments, presidential terms were extended from four to six years and Sisi's previous term was retroactively counted as his first, enabling him to remain in office until 2030. Analysts say this parliamentary term is significant because it is the last to be elected before that end date.
Rights concerns and turnout
Sisi's administration launched a national dialogue in 2022 presented as an overture to the country's depleted opposition, but rights groups say repression has continued to tighten. International and local rights organisations estimate that tens of thousands of political prisoners remain behind bars and warn that the electoral environment is restrictive.
The senate vote held more than two months earlier saw low participation, with turnout around 17 percent; observers will be watching participation levels and the conduct of the lower-house polls closely.
Note: All dates, seat counts and named actors are reported by election authorities and news agencies; analysts' comments reflect interpretation and concern about the longer-term political trajectory.
