The first phase of Egypt's parliamentary elections has witnessed a notable increase in voter turnout after midday, state-run MENA news agency reported Sunday. According to local observers, the voter turnout reached 2.27 percent of the whole voters eligible to cast ballots. Head of Egypt's Supreme Election Committee (SEC), Ayman Abass said he had received 256 complaints on electoral irregularities from 9 am till 2 pm, al-Bawaba News reported. Head of Egypt's National Center for Women (NCW) Mervat Talawy said she had received 27 complaints on election irregularities including breaking the voting silence and preventing candidates' representatives from entering polling stations. Talawy added the voter turnout has been weak and most of the voters were women and aged people. A large number of high-level officials have inspected the polling stations across the country, particularly Minister of Defense Sedky Sobhy who stood on the security affairs in Giza province and chief of staff, Mahmoud Higazy who inspected a number of polling stations in provinces of Alexandria and Assuit. Officials stressed on the role played by military and police personnel to secure the electoral process, lauding the Egyptian judges who oversee the polls.
