Voting begins in Egypt’s parliamentary election

CAIRO — Egyptians residing abroad have begun casting votes in the country’s first parliamentary election since 2013. Egypt’s state-run news wire says embassies and consulates in 139 countries will be open for two days of voting. The vote is staggered, with polling in half of Egypt’s governorates set to start Sunday. The election will take place in two phases, concluding in early December. Few candidates have broad recognition or clear platforms, and most have a pro-government bent. The vote will mark the final step in what has been billed as a transition to democracy. Meanwhile, Democracy International said on Friday it would monitor Egypt’s parliamentary elections but has scaled back its plans after having trouble getting visas for all its staff. Egyptians will begin voting on Sunday in long-awaited elections, the final step in a process that aimed to put the country back on a democratic course but which critics say has been undermined by state repression. The voting will take place over two rounds on Oct 18-19 and Nov 22-23, with two sets of run-offs in constituencies where no clear winner has emerged. Democracy International has been accredited by Egypt’s High Election Commission to observe the polls but the US based group said in a statement that “some visas for accredited core team members and short-term observers have not been issued and most visas have not been issued for the duration necessary to observe the entire election process.” It said that without the necessary and appropriate visas for its accredited observers it would not be able to conduct the comprehensive observation it originally expected to carry out. — AP