BICOM

The first batch of results from the Egyptian parliamentary elections, currently under way, suggests major gains for Islamist parties. Elections began on 28 November to elect a third of the 498 available seats in the Egyptian Peoples’ Assembly, the lower house of the Egyptian parliament. Results are currently available from a number of urban centres, including Cairo, Alexandria, and Port Said. The Muslim Brotherhood appears to have won between 30 to 40% of the vote in these areas, which would earn them around 40% of the seats in the assembly if this pattern continues. Islamist support is generally estimated to be higher in rural areas, making it less likely that the level of support for the Brotherhood will drop.

However, the biggest surprise so far has been the unexpectedly strong showing of the Salafist al-Nour party and associated groupings. The Salafists, espousing a more extreme Islamist ideology than the Muslim Brotherhood, gained around 20% of the vote in some areas, raising the possibility of a straight Islamist majority in the new assembly. Final results following two more rounds of voting for the lower assembly are expected in mid-January. After this, voting for the upper house will take place. Presidential elections are set to take place in summer 2012.