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The Concise Idiot's Guide to the Egyptian Elections 101 on the seat breakdown, when and where to vote and basic campaign regulations for the lower and upper houses of Egyptian Parliament (People's Assembly and Shura Council)
Egypt population: (est.) 85 million Citizens eligible to vote: (approx.) 50 million Parliamentary composition: bicameral The People's Assembly: the lower house The Shura Council: upper consultative house People's Assembly elections: Conducted over three stages, each involving polling in nine governorates (out of total 27 governorates). Run-off elections are held a week later between front-runners in single-winner races where none of the candidates got 50%+ of the total vote. The Assembly is elected, for the first time ever, through a mixed electoral system, whereby two-thirds of the total elected seats are chosen in accordance with a proportional representation list system, while the remaining one-third is elected in accordance with an individual candidacy system. Polling dates: The election of the People's Assembly begins on 28 November and ends on 10 January. People's Assembly elections stage #1: • Polling: 28 November; Run-offs: 5 December • In: Cairo, Fayoum, Port Said, Damietta, Alexandria, Kafr El-Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, and the Red Sea People's Assembly elections stage #2: • Polling: 14 December; Run-offs: 21 December • In: Giza, Beni Suef, Menoufiya, Sharqiya, Ismailia, Suez, Beheira, Sohag, and Aswan People's Assembly elections stage #3: • Polling: 3 January; Run-offs: 10 January • In: Minya, Qalioubiya, Gharbiya, Daqahliyya, North Sinai, South Sinai, Marsa Matruh, Qena, and the New Valley People's Assembly opening session: 17 March Shura Council elections: Also conducted over three stages, each involving polling in nine governorates (out of total 27 governorates). Run-off elections are held a week later between front-runners in constituencies where none of the candidates got 50%+ of the total vote. Polling dates: Shura council elections begin on 29 January and end on 11 March. Shura Council elections stage #1: • Polling: 29 January; Run-offs: 5 February • In: Cairo, Fayoum, Port Said, Damietta, Alexandria, Kafr El-Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, and the Red Sea Shura Council elections stage #2: • Polling: 14 February; Run-offs: 21 February • In: Giza, Beni Suef, Menoufiya, Sharqiya, Ismailiya, Suez, Beheira, Sohag, Aswan Shura Council elections stage #3: • Polling: 4 March; Run-offs: 11 March • In: Minya, Qalioubiya, Gharbiya, Daqahliyya, North Sinai, South Sinai, Marsa Matruh, and the New Valley Shura Council opening session: 24 March People's Assembly total membership: 508 (10 seats less than the outgoing Assembly whose number stood at 518) Number of elected seats: 498 Number of seats appointed by president (SCAF): 10 Assembly seats elected via proportional representation list system: 332 from 46 constituencies Assembly seats elected via individual candidacy system: 166 from 83 constituencies Shura Council total membership:270 (six seats more than the outgoing Shura Council whose number stood at 264) Number of elected seats: 190 Number of seats appointed by president (SCAF):80 Shura Council seats elected via proportional representation list system: 130 from 30 constituencies Shura Council seats elected via individual candidacy system: 60 from 30 constituencies Number of candidates running for People's Assembly individual candidacy seats: 6,591 competing for 166 seats Number of candidates running for Shura Council individual candidacy seats: 2,036 competing for 60 seats Total number of candidates running for individual candidacy seats in both houses: 8,627 for 266 seats Number of party (or party-coalition) lists competing for People's Assembly proportional representation seats: 590 lists for 332 seats Number of party (or party-coalition) lists competing for Shura Council proportional representation seats: 272 lists for 130 seats (Figures released by Supreme Electoral Commission on 25 October 2011) Election monitoring: A Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) is tasked with supervising and monitoring parliamentary elections from beginning to end. According to the most recent amendments of the 1956's law on exercise of political rights, SEC is made up of purely judicial members (eleven members). The head of the SEC is Abdel-Moez Ibrahim, chairman of Cairo's Appeal Court. The 1956 political rights law entrusted the SEC with 16 roles and powers, on top of which are exercising full control of elections, regulating their performance and ensuring that they are entirely supervised and monitored by judges (a judge for every ballot box). The SEC is also entrusted with selecting polling and vote-counting stations, preparing voter lists, regulating and supervising election campaigns in a way that should uphold the ban on raising religious and racial slogans and symbols. Offenders of SEC's regulations on election campaigns are subject to face prison sentences up to 15 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to 200,000 EGP. Election spending limits: The SEC has placed a 500,000 EGP ceiling on campaign expenditure for independent candidates, and 1 million EGP for party lists. International monitoring of the election: SEC's chairman Abdel-Moez has stated that international monitors and media were welcome to take part in “following” – rather than officially “observing” – the upcoming parliamentary election.
