CAIRO: A total of approximately 25,000 Egyptian expatriates cast their votes in the first round of the 2015 Parliamentary elections since Saturday morning to Sunday noon, 3.6 percent of those eligible, Youm7 reported the Cairo-based Egyptian High Elections Commission (HEC) Sunday.
More than 680,000 are able to vote, according to previously announced figures for previous presidential and parliamentary elections.
Egyptian expatriates started their two-day vote at 139 Egyptian embassies and consulates worldwide. According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s statistics, more than 8 million Egyptian expatriates abroad.
The eligible expatriates, who were born in 14 governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Asyut, the New Valley, Sohag, Qena , Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira, and Marsa Matrouh are voting without prior registrations with their IDs or passports, according to the Egyptian High Elections Commissions (HEC) rules.
The 2012 presidential election saw the greatest participation of expats, with more than 600,000 voting.
During the 2014 presidential elections, the number of expatriates’ votes registered 318,000.
The second round is scheduled on Nov. 22 and 23 in the governorates of Cairo, Qalyubia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, Gharbia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqia, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai, and South Sinai. Meanwhile Egyptians outside Egypt will vote on Nov. 21 and 22.
Egypt’s House of Representatives will comprise of 596 members, with 448 to be elected as independents, 120 through the winner-take-all party lists system, with 28 seats to be appointed by the president, HEC said.
Egypt’s parliament was consists of two houses: Shura Council (upper house) and Peoples’ Assembly (the lower house); however, Shura Council cancelled and the Peoples’ Assembly was named the House of Representatives in 2014.