CAIRO: Twenty candidates are vying for 10 seats in the run-offs in Sohag on Wednesday and Thursday, in a showdown between Islamists and candidates associated with the now dismantled National Democratic Party. The second of three phases of the People's Assembly elections began on Dec. 14-15. Only one candidate from Menufiya secured an absolute majority in the first stage of round two, leaving 59 single winner seats to be decided in the run-offs. Of the 20 competing in Sohag, four candidates belong to the Freedom and Justice Party, three to the Salafi Al-Nour Party, one to the Reform and Development Party, and 12 independents affiliated with the now disbanded National Democratic Party. Elections monitors in the Upper Egypt governorate reported a high turnout of supporters of Islamist candidates. The monitors claimed both the FJP and Al-Nour are coordinating against the other candidates. Party list elections were also held in the second Sohag constituency since they were postponed in the first stage when a court ruled that the ballots must be reprinted to include candidates previously disqualified. Fifteen party lists are competing fiercely in Sohag's southern second constituency. Preliminary results from the first constituency show that the Salafi Al-Nour party was in the lead.
