2015 Egyptian parliamentary election

Egyptian parliamentary elections to the House of Representatives were held in two phases, from 17 October to 2 December 2015.[1] The elected parliament will be entrusted with the task of reviewing the laws that were passed while a parliament was not in session.[2]

2015 Egyptian parliamentary election

← 2011–12 17 October – 2 December 2015 2020 →

568 of the 596 seats in the House of Representatives
299 seats needed for a majority
Turnout28.27%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Essam Khalil Mohamed Badran El-Sayyid el-Badawi
Party Free Egyptians Nation's Future New Wafd
Alliance FLE FLE FLE
Last election 15 38
Seats won 65 53 36
Seat change Increase 50 New Decrease 2

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Galal Haridy Hazem Omar Omar El-Mokhtar Semeida
Party Homeland Defenders Republican People's Congress
Alliance FLE Egyptian Front FLE
Last election
Seats won 18 13 12
Seat change New New New

Speaker of the House before election

Vacant

Elected Speaker of the House

Ali Abdel Aal
FLE

In preparation for the election, security was tightened across the country with at least 185,000 troops supporting police, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi made a televised appeal for Egyptians to vote, and in mid-October, public sector employees were given half a day's holiday to encourage them to take part. The strikingly low turnout, in some areas close to only 10%, with "many angry at the government and its policies", was widely regarded as a set-back for the administration and a success for calls to boycotts from oppositional movements.[3]

Electoral system

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The parliament is made up of 596 seats, with 448 seats elected through the single member districts, 120 elected through party bloc vote in which party list should win 50%+ votes to win all seats however if no list achieved the threshold, a second round held between top two parties and the list with the most votes wins. Party list contain quotas for youth, women, Christians, and workers. Single member districts consists of 1-member district, 2-member districts, 3-member district and 4-member districts, winner should win 50%+ of the votes, if no one achieved the threshold a second round held between top candidates (candidates number should be the double of contested seat number) and the candidate with the most votes wins. In addition, 28 are selected by the president.[4] The government commission that set the rules for the 2015 parliamentary elections drastically reduced the number of "list seats" (candidates who shared party affiliations or other alliances, and whose ranks had to include people under the age of thirty-five, women, Christians, and other traditionally underrepresented groups) from the 2011 election."[5]

Procedure

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First phase: Upper Egypt & West Delta

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In the first phase, elections were held from 17 to 28 October 2015 in the fourteen governorates of the Upper Egypt and West Delta regions, namely the governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Asyut, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira, and Matruh.

For these governorates, the first round of elections took place on 18 to 19 October for Egyptian residents, while it took place on 17 to 18 October for Egyptian expatriates. Runoffs were held on 27 to 28 October for Egyptians residents, and on 26 to 27 October for Egyptian expatriates.[6]

Nominations started on 1 September,[1] and lasted until 12 September (with the exception of the Qena and Qoss districts, which were extended until 15 September),[7] though candidates had until 15 September to submit the necessary medical tests.[8] Campaigning for the first phase started on 29 September[9] and ended on 15 October.[10]

Second phase: Central and East Delta

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In the second phase, elections took place from 21 November to 2 December 2015 in the remaining nine governorates of the Central Delta and East Delta regions, namely the governorates of Cairo, Qalyubia, Dakahlia, Monufia, Gharbia, Kafr el-Sheikh, Sharqia, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai, and South Sinai.

For these governorates, the first round of elections took place on 22 to 23 November for Egyptian residents and 21 to 22 November for Egyptian expatriates. Runoffs were held on 1 to 2 December for Egyptian residents, and on 30 November to 1 December for Egyptian expatriates.[6]

Campaigning started on 2 November and ended on 20 November 2015.[11]

Candidates

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On 16 September, the High Elections Committee announced the initial list of accepted candidates. While nine electoral lists were accepted, five more lists were rejected, including two of the three lists of the Egypt coalition (Egyptian Front & Independent Current Coalition) as well as the lists of Upper Egypt's Voice, Call of Egypt and Knights of Egypt.[12] After appealing to court, all rejected lists but the one by Upper Egypt's Voice were admitted. The final list of candidates for the first phase was announced on 28 September.[6]

A total of 7 electoral lists are contesting the 120 fixed-list seats available in the four regional constituencies:

Accepted electoral lists
Name of the list 1st phase constituency 2nd phase constituency
North, Center & South Upper Egypt Division Constituency
(45 seats)
West Delta Division Constituency
(15 seats)
Cairo, South & Center Delta Division Constituency
(45 seats)
East Delta Division Constituency
(15 seats)
For the Love of Egypt (Fi Hob Misr) Yes Yes Yes Yes
Egypt coalition Yes Yes Yes No
Al-Nour Party No Yes Yes No
Call of Egypt (Nidaa Misr) Yes No No No
Independent National Reawakening Bloc (al-Sahwa al-Wataneya) Yes No No No
Knights of Egypt (Forsan Misr) No Yes No No
Republican Alliance for Social Forces No No Yes No
Source: Mada Masr[13]

In the first phase, 2,573 individual candidates contested in 226 individual seats. Many parties are fielding individual candidates both on joint electoral lists and contesting the list-based seats.[6]

Results

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PartySeats
FPTPListTotal
Free Egyptians Party57865
Nation's Future Party431053
New Wafd Party27835
Homeland Defenders Party10818
Republican People's Party13013
Congress Party8412
Al-Nour Party11011
Conservative Party156
Democratic Peace Party505
Egyptian Social Democratic Party404
Egyptian Patriotic Movement404
Modern Egypt Party404
Freedom Party303
Reform and Development Misruna Party303
My Homeland Egypt Party303
Revolutionary Guards Party101
National Progressive Unionist Rally Party101
Free Egyptian Building Party101
Arab Democratic Nasserist Party101
Independents25174325
Appointed members28
Total451117596

First phase

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Party Ideology Candidates Run-off
candidates
% Reaching runoff Votes Seats
Free Egyptians Party Liberalism 111 64 56.63 1,009,083 41
Nation's Future Party Populism 89 64 51.68 702,965 26
Al-Nour Party Salafi Islamist 91 23 25.27 494,042 8
New Wafd Party National liberalism 77 21 27.27 392,138 16
Republican People's Party Populism 42 14 33.33 198,822 11
Democratic Peace Party Nationalism 57 8 14.03 155,847 1
Congress Party National liberalism 53 7 13.20 105,975 5
Homeland Defenders Party Populism 51 5 9.80 89,875 7
Freedom Party Liberalism 6 3 50.00 68,926 1
Egyptian Social Democratic Party Social liberalism 41 5 12.19 56,922 3
Egyptian Patriotic Movement Secularism 60 4 6.66 45,014 1
My Homeland Egypt Party Populism 20 3 15.00 29,971 1
Modern Egypt Party Liberalism 25 2 8.00 25,993 2
Conservative Conservatism 14 1 4.28 23,042 1
Free Egyptian Building Party 11 1 9.09 1
Leader Party 9 1 11.11 0
Other/Independents ----
Total

[14][15]

Expatriates

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The results for expatriate voting during the first phase were announced on 20 October 2015.[16]

Results for expatriate voting during the first round
Coalitions Votes
For the Love of Egypt 15,529
Call of Egypt 3,076
Egypt 2,969
Independent National Reawakening Bloc 1,403

Boycotts

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A number of parties boycotted the election, claiming that the process was unfair. These included the following:

Rules for media coverage of elections by Supreme Electoral Commission

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  • Maintain objectivity and refrain from inserting personal views in news
  • Deliver accurate information
  • Refrain from using misleading titles or pictures unrelated to content
  • Refrain from using vague designations
  • It is strictly forbidden to ask voters who they will vote for
  • It is forbidden to conduct polls and surveys in front of polling stations
  • It is forbidden to phrase questions in a way that encourages a particular response
  • Reporters must respect the right of reply[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Timetable for Egypt's parliamentary elections announced; voting to start 17 Oct". Ahram Online. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  2. ^ "في عهد السيسي..إصدار 263 قانونًا بدون برلمان اقرأ المقال الاصلى فى المصريون". Almesryoon. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Egypt votes in long-delayed parliamentary elections - BBC News". BBC News. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  4. ^ "Egypt election committee to announce date for parliamentary poll Sunday". Ahram Online. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  5. ^ Hessler, Peter (7 March 2016). "Letter from El-Balyana". New Yorker. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Omar Halawa (6 October 2015). "Egypt's Upcoming Elections: A Primer". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Deadline for elections candidacy closes". Daily News Egypt. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Final push to the polls". Al-Ahram Weekly. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  9. ^ "'List of Egypt' threatens withdrawal from elections over legal complications for members". Daily News Egypt. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Egypt is approaching the final post 30-June democracy pillar". Daily News Egypt. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Campaigning begins Monday for second stage of Egypt's parliamentary elections". Ahram Online. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  12. ^ "Elections countdown: 32 days HEC releases initial list of accepted candidates". Mada Masr. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Elections explainer: A map to the madness". Mada Masr. 16 October 2015. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ "قراءة في نتائج المرحلة الأولى للانتخابات (2) - المصري اليوم". Al Masry Al Youm. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  15. ^ "بوابة فيتو: ننشر إحصائيات الفائزين بـ"الفردي" و"الأحزاب" بنتائج المرحلة الأولى". Vetogate (بوابة فيتو). 30 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  16. ^ "For the Love of Egypt wins majority of expatriate votes". Mada Masr. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  17. ^ a b c "Some aren't running, some are boycotting, and this is why". Ahram Online. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  18. ^ "الرئيسية سياسة حزب البناء والتنمية: لن نشارك أو ندعم أى مرشح فى الانتخابات البرلمانية". Youm7. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  19. ^ "Next parliament will be worst in Egypt's history: ESDP Secretary General". Daily News Egypt. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  20. ^ "حزب الوطن يقرر عدم المشاركة فى الانتخابات البرلمانية". Shorouk News. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  21. ^ ""الوفاق القومي" يعلن انسحابه من خوض الانتخابات البرلمانية". El Watan News. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Administrative court decides on parliamentary candidatures". Daily News Egypt. 23 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Egypt's Socialist Alliance boycotts elections, Constitution Party mulls its options". Ahram Online. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  24. ^ "الانسحابات تسيطر على انتخابات "النواب".. و"الوطنى" ينافس "الوطنى"". Youm7. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  25. ^ ""الوسط": هذا موقفنا من المشاركة في البرلمان اقرأ المقال الاصلى فى المصريون". Almesryoon. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  26. ^ "Committee sets rules for media coverage of elections". Daily News Egypt. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.