The second phase of parliamentary elections started today with moderate turnout of voters. No violations have been reported. It seems that voting is going amidst strict security measures around polling stations. The following is our correspondents' reports on the polls in the nine provinces of the second phase, namely, Giza, al-Buhaira, al-Ismailiya, Suez, Aswan, Sohag, Beni Swef, al-Munoufiya and al-Sharqiya. Giza - Judge Yusri Abd al-Karim, head of the the Technical Bureau of the High Judicial Elections Commission (HJEC) confirmed to “Aswat MAsriya” correspondent that voting was underway normally in 99% of the polling centres. - At Sadat Primary School, of Al-Haram Street, there was a queue of about 100 voters, amid strict security measures. The polling centre saw intensive campaigns by all political trends. - Turnout was low at El-Omarania polling stations. At the same constituency, polling stations of al-Talibiya and Bolak al-Dakrour witnessed very high turnout. - Al-Haram Secondary School opened half an hourlate as the judge arrived late. - Saadia Military Secondary School witnessed very intensive campaign of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) amid low turnout of voters. - According to a female eye witness there were lines of more than 500 propel at the polling station of Mahmoud Omar Secondary School at al-Dbobat building, of Al-Rimaya district. - There was a section for the elders to facilitate their voting. - Intensive presence of police, army and the SS in addition to youth of “popular vigilance committees were also scene. - No campaigns were reported. - According to another female witness at El-Manshiya School polling station, Al-Martiotia Road, “The turnout of voters was moderate”. - Campaign banners have been seen on the school wall. - At al-Badrasheen the turnout was moderate. - Gazerat Al-Dahab polling station in the first constituency has not been opened yet for unknown reasons. - Turnout is relatively low in most of the polling stations of Giza as the case is in the Amr Ibn Al-Aas voting centre. - Campaigns disappeared in front of some polling centres. Suez - The Armed Forces arrested two of the advocates of the independent candidate to individual seats Muhammad Abu al-Rijal for campaigning in front of the polling station of Omar Makram School. - Polling station of The Azhari Institute in Faisal witnesses an intensive campaign for the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). - Ahmad Ramadan Preparatory School witnesses continuing campaign for the Freedom and Justice using laptops. - A group of veiled and fully veiled (niqabi) women are present in front of Sami al-Baroudi Elementary School to convince women to vote for candidates of the FJP and Slafist al-Nour Party. The same repeated in front of al-Sayyidah Aishah School. - Dozens of Hizb Masr al-Qawmi (Egypt National Party) candidate Khalil Awad Allah's advocates are present in front of Omar Bin al-Khattab and Abd al-Rahman Bin Awf polling stations in al-Ganayen neighborhood, the rural sector, to urge people to vote for the party's slates. - Voting started an hour late at Salah Nasim polling station in Ataqah district as two ballot boxes arrived late. - Shaikh Hafiz Salamah votes. - Most polling centres of the governorate opened at least half an hour late because of the absence of candidates' representatives. Judges referred to laws require the presence of at least eight representatives. This also happened at Sami Baroudi and Ahmed Shawki Schools of Nile Street at “Arba'een” neighborhood. - High turnoutof voters who lined up in long queues since 07.00 a.m. in front of polling stations. - At Al-Mostakbal Preparatory School for boys in al-Sabbah city, FJP activists distributed propaganda cards with the party's “Scale” logo on them to urge voters to vote for their party. Al-Sharqiya - Overcrowding at al-Shahid Tyyar School, of Hussainiya Zagazig neighborhood. This led to altercations between the army and the voters. - Al-Nour” Party is campaigning in front of a number of polling stations at Abu Hammad Al-Mahata County. - Numbers of voters receded at the polling stations of the 10th of Ramdan district after the high turnout in the morning. - High turnout at the polling stations of Faqous County. - Representatives of FJP were not allowed to enter polling station No. 379, of Zagazig County. - Taher Al-Nabrawy, the agent of candidate Hassan Abu Al-Nass found ballot papers lying in the street in front of a polling centre in Faqous. He filed the administrative police report number 2910, year 2011, at Faqous Police Station. - A number of Salafist al-Nour Party activists distributed leaflets in front of a Mutazz Salim School of the village of Adwa village at Hehiya County to campaign for their party. - “Aswat Masriya” correspondent confirmed that in the village of Al-Malakyin al-Bahariya a number of judges arrived to Abd a-Al Shaalan Primary School polling station by a car owned by independent candidate for individual seat Hisham Abd al-Salam Rizq. - A number of the polling stations opened half an hour late. This happened at the Preparatory School polling station in the village of Raznah. - Osman Bin Affan School polling station, at Block No. 55 opened at 08.30 a.m. due to judges' late arrival. - In the village of Sabih, polling stations did not open until after 08.30. a.m. This was due to the lack of an official letter with the names of education directorate clerks. - In the village of Al-Mahdiya, compound of polling stations No. 71, 73, 74 and 75 opened at 08.45 a.m. - Judges have not yet arrived at electoral committees 305- 306 at al-Nahdah al-Qawmiya polling stations. - Electoral committees at Religious School polling station in al-Sammaii did not open until 8:30 a.m. due to judges' late arrival. - Voting was delayed at the electoral committee No. 317- 318 at Saadah Abu Halifa polling station at Omar Bin Al-Khattab School. This was due to administrative error as administrative rolls were switched with those of another polling station. One judge is observing both polling stations, although they contain four ballot boxes. Al-Buhairah - Casting ballots began at polling station No. 562 at Rashid educational compound around 12:30 p.m. as the judge was late. - About 30 judges arrived late. This led to voting delays at the polling stations they were assigned to observe. - Very High turnout at Abu Al-Matameir County, moderate in most counties and low in Kafr Al-Dawar and Edco. - About twenty advocates of al-Wasat Party stood off al-Hadeetha Elementary School for Girls in Kafr al-Dawar, protesting the exclusion of their party list in the first phase. - Turnout was low in the early hours of voting. - Intensive presence of army and police forces. - Some polling stations opened late at 8:30. Others opened at 9:00, like the case was at Edco Preparatory School for girls and al-Zahraa Preparatory School at Abu Hummus. - Turnout is very low in Edco constituency to the extent that only ten people were at a school with two electoral committees. - Using ropes encircling polling stations, the army prevented all Parties' attempts to campaign in front of polling stations. Sohag - Sohag governor, accompanied with the Security Apparatus director and the Military Governor, checked out the polling station at the Military High School to follow up with the electoral process. - Thirty polling stations opened at 10.00 a.m. due to the late arrivals of the judges. - Moderate turnout of voters due to fear of crowding in the early hours of polls. - The army and police provided intensive security presence. - Until now no campaigns or other violations have been detected. Beni Swef - Operations Romm of Salafist al-Nour Part in al-Wasta County complained against the intensive campaign of the FJP. FJP activists are using laptops to campaign in front of polling stations. - In Midom, candidate of the Continuing Revolution coalition at the first constituency Ali Abu Taleb had a number of cars roaming chanting against the FJP's candidate. - Voters at Ashmant Elementary School in the village of Ashmant were surprised at finding out that the voters' lists had been switched with those of Tahab Wish Village at Nasser County. This resulted in late openings of polling stations until 9:30 a.m. when the actual voters' lists were provided. - Voters' lists at Salah Salem polling station in Nasser County were replaced for errors. Hence the polling station opened late at 9:30. - The Modern Preparatory School in Bandar Bani Swef has witnessed high turnout since early hours. - Security and Armed forces asked fully veiled women (niqabis) to wait until ladies are available to uncover their faces, a step to avoid first phase problems. - Electoral Committee No. 157 through 161 at al-Shaab Elementary School and Mubarak Elementary School witnessed intensive campaign for al-Nour Party. - Supporters of Al-Wafd Party were cruising streets of the al-Maimounah village in al-Washtah County in cars with loudspeakers calling for the election of their party's candidates. - Al-Nour Party used the photos of Sheikh Mohamed Hassan to campaign for their party's candidates in Semsta County. - Advocates of the Continuing Revolution Alliance distributed posters of the pyramid symbol to urge voters to choose their lists. - A group of judges made objections to the locations of the polling stations they were assigned to observe. This happened at Tarshoum Elementary School. - Most polling stations opened one to one and half hours late. - Moderate turnout at polling stations. - Students of al-Qawmiya Private School, wearing scouts' uniform, took over traffic in front of polling stations in an attempt to help the army and police. - No violations of campaigns in front of polling stations were detected. - A number of the polling stations opened quarter of an hour late due to fog which delayed the arrival of judges. Aswan - Accompanied with the Military Council General Nabil Salamah, Governor of Aswan Mustafa al-Sayyid has checked a number of polling stations. - National and International observers were present at some polling stations. - Al-Ahrar (the Free) Party filed the first claim to Judge Ali al-Taher, head of the sub-station in Aswan. The complaint was filed due to the wrong spelling of the party's name on the ballots (al-Ahrar al-Masryin). Voters were henced confused between the party and al-Masryin al-Ahrah (the Free Egyptians Party). - Hundreds of Copts flocked in front of Fatima Al-Zaharaa Preparatory school and Kom Ombo Agricultural Inspection Department to vote for the Egyptian Block as well as to support Mervat Anwar, candidate No. 2 on the slatev the Liberal Party. - News was reported about fraud at Mitwalli Sharawi School, of Biyara area in Kom Ombo. This led to sending police forces to the polling stations to verify the truth. - Hundreds of Nubians rushed to the polling stations to vote for their candidates, headed by Adel Abu Bakr, the candidate for the workers seat. - Calm prevails over most of the polling stations where voting was delayed for half an hour, as happened at Taha Hussein School, in the town of Kom Ombo and Fatima al-Zahras School. - Voting at Ahmed Orabi School polling station was delayed for more than fifty minutes. - Members of the so-called “League of the Youth who love Egypt” distributed brochures in front of polling stations, urging voters not to vote for the former NDPs known as “fulooul” [remnants of the old regime]. Al-Munoufiya - Al-Ahram newspaper reported a high turnout in the polling station of El-Bagour in Menoufia. The late Kamal Shazli was the MP of this constituency. - Advocates of al-Nour Party campaigned for the party's two individual candidates in Quisna County. - Intensive presence of the armed forces at all polling stations. - Military and police forces frustrated attempts of the supporters of the Hizb al-Islah wa al-Tanmiya (Reform and Development Party) candidate to break into Izbat Almal polling station to in al-Bagour to stuff ballots for their candidate. - A number of coalitions of youth provide all facilities for voters, disabled in particular, and help them to find their polling stations, according to the Middle East News Agency (MENA). Al-Ismailia - Daily Al-Masry al-Youm reported on moderate turnout in the cities of the governorate, especially at al-Ismailiay, Abu Swer, al-Qassasin and al-Tall al-Kabir. - In the frame of the security plan announced by SCAF, armored vehicles and tanks roam in the city streets raising banners reading: “securing the elections.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/LSQhU Tags: Elections, Parliament, Second Round, Voting Section: Egypt, Latest News
