Egypt says 26.6-percent participation in 1st round of vote

More than 27 million voters were eligible to cast ballots in the first round, held on Sunday and Monday, across 14 of the country’s 27 provinces.

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday phoned the president of Egypt and the king of Jordan to update them on the details of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s visit to Moscow the previous day, the Kremlin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. The public’s lack of enthusiasm seemed matched by that of the government, which did not stage the kind of public relations campaign – for example, explaining how to vote – that it had before past elections.

Sisi won backing for Mursi’s ouster from other opposition forces with a roadmap to democracy that promised parliamentary elections in six months.

The legislature that came out of the 2011 election, held following the fall of Mubarak, was dissolved in June 2012, just days before the election as president of Sisi’s predecessor, Islamist Mohamed Morsi. Thousands of its members are behind bars and its supporters boycotted the vote. This means that the two most successful lists will get into the run-off election, and only one will then be assigned all 15 or 45 seats, depending on the constituency. While, against the background of the perceived superiority of security over personal rights in Egypt today, they do not necessarily condemn this, awareness is widespread that under the current conditions the parliament has no power whatsoever.

Junta supporting candidates alone are participating. The 596-member parliament is expected to firmly present President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi s iron-fisted policies in the absence of any opposition. No one against Hosni Mubarak is running for office.

The African Union Election Observation Mission said the first round was “conducted in a transparent and peaceful manner”. Yet the many potential voters who stayed at home are well aware that the new parliament will make no difference whatsoever.