Egypt's Brotherhood claims majority in upper house vote

Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party claims in its newspaper's that party has won over half of Shura Council seats; Official results are due Sunday

The Muslim Brotherhood claimed in its own newspaper on Friday it had scored an outright majority in an election for Egypt's Shura Council of parliament (upper, consultative house) after having emerged as the top party in an earlier vote for the People's Assembly (lower house).
The official results of the upper house vote are due to be released on Sunday, however, turnout was low for the two-round poll which began on 29 January.
The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice newspaper said the Islamist group's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) had won 107 seats, or 59 per cent of the Shura Council's 180 seats.
It said another Islamist Party, the Salafist Nour Party, won 46 seats. Among secularist and liberal parties, Wafd won 19 seats and the Egyptian Bloc seven. An independent candidate took one seat.
The parliamentary votes, which began in late November, are the first since a popular uprising toppled President Hosni Mubarak a year ago.
The People's Assembly election saw an unprecedented turnout and was hailed as Egypt's most democratic since military officers overthrew the king in 1952.
But some voters blamed a lack of enthusiasm for the Shura Council election on the belief their ballot mattered little.
The powers of the Shura Council are limited and it cannot block legislation in the People's Assembly. However, its members must be consulted before members of the People's Assembly pass any bill.
The Brotherhood, which was banned during Mubarak's rule, won 47 per cent of People's Assembly seats, far more than any other party.