Egypt will announce the official results of its Senate elections on Wednesday, according to the National Elections Authority (NEC) on Tuesday, a week after the vote was held under strict preventive measures amid the coronavirus (Covid-19). The results will be announced in a press conference held at 3 pm from State TV building Maspero on Wednesday, NEC said in an official statement. Last week, the two-day voting period for the second chamber of parliament saw a light to moderate turnout at some 14,000 polling stations nationwide, with no violations or major problems reported that would impact the validity of the polls. Around 63 million Egyptians from the country's population of more than 100 million people are eligible to cast ballots. Voters had to adhere to preventive measures, including wearing masks and abiding by social distancing, inside polling stations, which were sanitised and had disinfection gates installed ahead of the vote. A run-off round will take place in September. A total of 787 candidates vied for seats in the new legislative body, which is to be set up as part of constitutional amendments approved last year. Voting for Egyptians living abroad took place in 124 countries last week. The Senate, whose term is set at five years, will have 300 members. Two-thirds of the members will be elected via the individual candidacy and the closed party list systems, and the rest will be appointed by the president. Women will hold a quota of at least 25 percent of the seats in the chamber. The elections are expected to be swept by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan (the Future of the Homeland) Party, which fielded the largest number of candidates.
