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Egypt’s NEA to Announce Results of 2nd Round of Parliamentary Elections on Sunday

Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt’s NEA to Announce Results of 2nd Round of Parliamentary Elections on Sunday

Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) will announce the results of the second round of parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Head of the NEC Lasheen Ibrahim said all results were received from the public committees on the level of the 13 governorates where elections took place as well as the votes by expatriates, noting that the results provided by committees were accurately revised.

The NEC has stressed that it is the only official body entrusted with announcing the final results of the elections.

It will hold a press conference on Sunday at Cairo’s Maspero building, headquarters of Egypt’s Radio and Television Union (ERTU), in the presence of local and foreign media, to announce the results of the second round of elections.

Ibrahim has earlier announced that the commission has not received any complaint that would affect the electoral process, asserting that any issue was dealt with in a professional and accurate manner.

During this round, which concluded last week, 2,085 candidates competed in a single-member district system in 70 constituencies, while the lists competed for 142 seats in the legislature.

The second round of elections took place in Cairo, Qalyubia, Menoufia, Daqahlia, Gharbiya, Kafr el-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai.

Around 31 million Egyptians were eligible to vote in 9,261 sub-committees, over 70 electoral districts, supervised by 12,000 judges, according to official figures.

The run-off elections will take place, depending on the results, on December 7 and 8 inside Egypt, and December 5, 6 and 7 for expatriates.

A total of 568 seats in the lower chamber are up for grabs in the election, with half the seats reserved for candidates running as individuals.

The other 50 percent of seats in the House of Representatives are for over 1,100 candidates running on four party lists. The president will name 28 seats, or five percent, bringing the total number of seats in the lower chamber to 596.

A quota of 25 percent of the seats is reserved for women, according to constitutional amendments approved in a national referendum last year.

The turnout in the first round of parliamentary elections was at 28.6 percent, the NEC had previously revealed.

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Zarif Warns of All-Out Civil War in Syria, Proposes Initiative for Regional Dialogue

Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs and former Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif (Iranian Presidency)
Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs and former Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif (Iranian Presidency)
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Zarif Warns of All-Out Civil War in Syria, Proposes Initiative for Regional Dialogue

Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs and former Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif (Iranian Presidency)
Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs and former Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif (Iranian Presidency)

Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs and former Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned on Tuesday of an all-out civil war in Syria.
His comments came in an initiative calling for dialogue between countries in the region, including the new government in Syria.
In an op-ed in The Economist on Monday, republished by the Iranian IRNA news agency, the Vice President outlined an approach to regional security and economic development through the creation of the Muslim West Asian Dialogue Association (MWADA), meaning “amity” in Arabic, with the aim to foster peaceful coexistence and equitable partnerships.
He said the initiative’s key priority is the establishment of immediate sustainable, permanent ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
Iran's influence in the Middle East has suffered setbacks following Israeli attacks on its Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah allies, and the subsequent fall of President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.
Zarif’s initiative comes amid heightened expectations in Tehran over US President-elect Donald Trump's policy towards Iran as he prepares to take office in the White House.
Syria’s Challenge
Zarif said MWADA invites all core Muslim countries in West Asia, including the future government of Syria to engage in comprehensive negotiations.
This initiative should be grounded in the sublime values of our common religion, Islam, and on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-intervention and collective security,” he wrote.
Iran has spent billions of dollars supporting Bashar Assad during the war in Syria, and has deployed Revolutionary Guard troops in the country to keep its ally in power since the civil war erupted in 2011.
Lately, Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of the new Syrian government, made statements criticizing the role Iran has played in Syria over the past years.
In his op-ed, Zarif said, “post-Assad Syria presents a major challenge to us all.”
He said that unbridled Israeli aggression disregarding Syrian sovereignty, foreign interference undermining Syrian territorial integrity, horrifying scenes of violence and brutality reminiscent of ISIS savagery, and ethnic and sectarian violence—which may lead to an all-out civil war—require the immediate attention of the proposed MWADA.
The Iranian official added that a proposed MWADA Development Fund can finance critical infrastructure projects, particularly in devastated post-conflict areas.
Additionally, he said, governance reforms in Syria—as a basis for economic assistance—will promote accountability and lay the groundwork for a safe and stable country where women and minorities can thrive.
Concerning Palestine, Zarif said the humanitarian disaster also remains critical for regional stability.
“MWADA must prioritize Palestinian self-determination and support just solutions while fully respecting the aspirations of the people. This involves not just political solutions but also economic opportunities and the recognition of Palestinian rights,” he wrote.
Security of Navigation
Concerning relations with Saudi Arabia, Zarif said partnership between Tehran and Riyadh, two of the region’s most influential powers—will play a crucial role.
“By fostering unity and brotherhood among Shiite and Sunni Muslims, we can counter the extremism and sectarian strife that have historically destabilized the region,” he said.
Zarif also suggested a new regional cooperation on freedom of navigation, including joint maritime-security patrols.
He said the region is home to strategic chokepoints including the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
“Iran, given its location and security expertise, is uniquely positioned to contribute to the security of waterways like the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote, adding that others can play a leading role in securing Suez and Bab al-Mandab.
He then recalled the Hormuz Peace Endeavor or HOPE, which he suggested in 2019. The initiative came amid escalation of tensions in regional waters, after Iran responded to US sanctions by seizing foreign oil tankers.
Zarif’s initiative also called on working towards a region free from nuclear weapons and reviving the Iran nuclear deal (the JCPOA).
Iran’s Role
Speaking about Iran’s role, Zarif said like other participants, Tehran would play an indispensable role.
“Over the past 45 years, my country has demonstrated remarkable resilience and self-sufficiency in security and defense, managing to survive and even thrive; not just without foreign assistance, but in spite of pressure from extra-regional powers,” he wrote.
The widely believed perception of Iran losing its arms in the region stems from a wrong assumption that Iran has had proxy-patron relationships with resistance forces, he added.
Zarif said that trying to attribute it to Iran may serve a public relations campaign but will obstruct any resolution.
MWADA challenges us to re-imagine the region not as a battleground but as a hub of MWADA, amity and empathy, characterized by the pursuit of shared opportunities and collective prosperity, he noted.
“Transforming West Asia into a beacon of peace and collaboration is not just an idealistic aspiration; it is both a strategic imperative and an achievable goal that requires only commitment, dialogue and a shared vision,” the Iranian official said.
In a video message delivered in English on the occasion of Christmas, the Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs warned that the escalating tensions in the Middle East could lead to an uncontrollable global crisis.