U.S. Congressman David Dreier (2nd L), a monitor for Egypt's presidential election, watches as electoral workers count ballots during the second day of voting, at a polling station in Cairo June 17, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt's Higher Electoral Commission (HEC) announced Sunday that registration for national and international civil society organisations to monitor upcoming parliamentary elections will open Monday, closing 21 January, spokesperson to the HEC Medhat Idris said in a statement.
Idris said that after the deadline the commission would announce those organisations accepted to monitor the elections. Permits will be handed out to the accepted organisations between 5 and 14 Februrary.
The commission said Thursday that parliamentary elections will take place in two stages in March and April. The first stage of the vote will take place 21-22 March for expats and 22-23 for residents in Egypt, while the second stage will take place 25-26 April for expats and 26-27 April for Egypt residents.
An estimated 54 million Egyptians are registered as eligible voters in the coming poll.
Civil society organisations along with the European Union monitored Egypt's last presidential elections, describing the process as "smooth" but with limited space for opposing voices.
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