The Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) announced Monday that the official election results for Egypt's Shura Council (parliament's upper and consultative house) will be announced Saturday, 25 February 2012.

SEC head Abdel-Moez Ibrahim stated Monday that comprehensive results, including a detailed run down of single seat and list results, will be announced at a press conference on Saturday.

Elections for Egypt's Shura Council took place over two stages.  Second stage run-offs will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thus far, the first stage results were dominated by Islamists forces, namely the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the Salafist Al-Nour Party, who won more than 80 per cent of the seats. 

Second stage preliminary results indicate a similar dominance for both parties as well.

Unlike the People's Assembly (parliament's lower house) elections, voter turn out for the Shura Council polls was considerably less for both stages. Less than 10 per cent of eligible Egyptians made it to the polls compared to the 52 per cent turnout for the Assembly's polls. The FJP and Al-Nour Party swept the Assembly's elections as well, claiming between the two parties more than 70 per cent of the seats.

The first session of the Shura Council will be held on 28 February 2012.