CAIRO: The run-off of the first round of parliamentary elections in Alexandria, where 16 are contesting eight individual seats, witnessed fierce competition among Islamist candidates. The Islamists have secured five seats, the competition on which is between the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi Al-Nour Party in the run-offs. The FJP supports two independent candidates contesting two more seats: Hosny Dowidar, running against Al-Nour's Abdel-Moniem El-Shahhat, and Councilor Mahmoud El-Khodairy, running against former member of the disbanded National Democratic Party, Tarek Talaat Mostafa. Throughout the day the voting process was generally calm as the turnout seemed lower than last week's first round. Army forces cordoned polling stations in an attempt to prevent campaigning by parties, while candidates' supporters increased outside security cordons. Supporters of Al-Nour Party candidate Essam Hassanein attacked Al-Shorouk newspaper's photographer, who took pictures of female Salafi campaigners wearing the face veil and using laptops in front of polling stations, saying that "photographing the sisters is not allowed." Hassanein later apologized for the attack, confirming that there is no problem with photographing female campaigners and promising an investigation into the matter. "Alexandria is Islamist by heart," Hassanein told Daily News Egypt, describing the competition among Islamist candidates as "calm." Head of FJP in Alexandria, Hussein Ibrahim, told DNE that the party does not intend on dividing the upcoming parliament into Islamist and non-Islamist, saying there is a charter between FJP and Al-Nour Party to guide the competition between them. "There are many ideological differences between us and Al-Nour Party, and we leave the voter to [choose] the better program," Ibrahim said. Al-Shehab Center for Human Rights documented many violations committed by ex-NDP member Tarek Talaat Moustafa including bribing voters by with LE 200 and one kilogram of meat. Some voters went to his office in El-Zananery market to get the bribe, the center said on Monday. Two members of "Emsek Flol" campaign in Alexandria were distributing flyers encouraging voters not to support Moustafa were caught by the candidate's supporters who handed them to the army, member of Al-Khoudairy's campaign told DNE. The nation-wide “Emsek Flol” campaign aims at exposing the affiliation of elections' candidates with the former regime. A court had asserted the right of National Democratic Party members to run in the elections. The army arrested Emad Mohamadeen and Amr Mahmoud and referred them to the Sidi Gaber Police Station, where several activists protested demanding their release. But religion seemed to be the more dominant factor in the coastal city. Coptic voters seem to favor supporters of the civil state against Islamist candidates, according to member of the Holy Synod in Alexandria Kameel Seddiq, who told DNE that Copts want a balanced parliament. "The stance of the Church is declared only by Pope Shenouda. All these nominations are suggested by the non-papal members of the church," he added. Sources declining to mention their names inside the Church confirmed to DNE that Copts will support the FJP-backed candidate Hosni Dewidar against ultraconservative Salafi preacher Abdel Moneim El-Shahat, who distributed flyers calling Dewidar "the candidate of the Church." The wish to strike a balance between Islamist and non-Islamist parliamentarians is why some supported former NDP member Tarek Moustafa against MB-backed candidate Mahmoud El-Khodairy. Many Coptic youth interviewed by DNE said they will either annul their votes or vote for independent candidates, while some prefer to vote for FJP over Salafi candidates. The Administrative Court issued a verdict to cancel elections in the third constituency since one of the candidates contesting the worker's seat presented documents proving he is a professional, not a worker. Head of Alexandria Elections Commission, Ahmed El-Gamal, said he sent a notification to the Supreme Electoral Commission in Cairo to confirm applying the court verdict, but is yet to receive an answer. Lawyer Khalaf Bayoumi said the delayed response may be due to waiting for a final confirmation from the Appeals Court, the only party authorized to issue final verdicts regarding cancelling voting in any constituency.
