The Freedom and Justice Party leads in Shura Council elections, the FJP said Wednesday, based on information it says it received from the high elections commission. It received 45.2 percent of almost 3 million votes, the party said on its website. Twenty-six FJP candidates will compete in the runoff vote, in which 29 seats are being contested, the party said. It said party candidate Hassan Youssef won the election for the professional seat in Fayoum. The high elections commission decided to conduct Shura Council elections in two stages. It held the first stage on 29 and 30 January, and runoffs for single-winner seats will be held on 7 February. The second stage will be held on 14 and 15 February in Luxor, Port Said, Kafr al-Sheikh, Giza, Beni Suef, Sharqiya, Ismailia, Suez, Beheira, Sohag, Aswan, Minya, Qalyubiya and Marsa Matrouh. Rights organizations reported low turnout for the elections.
