Veiled Muslim Brotherhood supporters before a polling station in Alexandria (photo: Reuters)
The nine NDP Ministers who ran in this year’s parliamentary elections may have all landed seats in the country's new parliament, initial results indicated.
Mohamed Nasser El-Din Allam, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, is reported to have been “successful” in this, his first attempt vying for a seat in the Gehaina constituency in his native Sohag. The Minister of State for Military Production, Sayed Meshaal, was also successful – pushing out his main rival, journalist Mustafa Bekry, to secure the "professionals'" seat in Helwan. Sameh Fahmy, Minister of Petroleum secured a win in Nasr City and Heliopolis.
Primary results also indicate that Egypt’s Minister for Social Solidarity has secured a seat in the Abu Kabir constituency in Sharkiya. In the same governorate, Ameen Abaza, the Minister of Agriculture won the professionals seat.
North of Cairo, Egypt’s Coptic Minister of Finance Youssef Botrous Ghali has secured another round in parliament – his second - after winning the seat for the Mahd El Fany constituency in Shubra. Further up on the coast in Alexandria, Minister of Local Development General Mohamed Abdel Salam Mahgoub, won the Professionals seat in the El Raml constituency.
Other prominent members from the ruling National Democratic Party were reported to have also secured their seats. Parliament Speaker Fathy Sorour won in the Sayeda Zeinab constituency, Chief of the President's Staff, Zakariya Azmy in Zeitoun, Amal Othman and Safir Nour in Dokki, and Mofeed Shehab in Mahram Bek.
Six members of the NDP have also gone through in the Sharkiya governorate, including Abdel-Rahman Mashhour for the "workers' and farmers' seat" in Minya El-Kamh and fellow NDP member Abdel-Aziz Marouf for the "professionals'" seat.
In Menouf, business tycoon and NDP organizational secretary, Ahmed Ezz won the professionals' seat, and a run-off will be staged next week between Ayman Moaz and Helmy El-Feky, both from the NDP, for the workers and farmers seat.
In Menoufia, the NDP's Amin Mubarak, cousin to President Mubarak, won the professional seat and a run-off will be staged between Ahmed Seif and Tamer El Selawy, both from the NDP, for the workers seat.
In the Bagor constituency, NDP candidates Atef El Hilal and Waheed Zayed came out winners.
In Tala, the NDP’s Effat El-Sadat won the professsionals, and in Astanha a run-off will be held between the NDP’s Ahmed Mansour and the MB’s Yasser Hamoud over the professionals seat. Another run-off will be held between the NDP’s Rageb El Kala and Hanaey El Leithy. In El Bantoun, the NDP’s Wafeek Ezzat and Atef Abu Hussein will stand against each other in a run-off for the professionals seat. The competition for the workers seat will also see a run-off, between Saed El Kassas and Saad Hussein from the Muslim Brotherhood.
In Shamaa, Alaa Tahoun won the professionals seat and Alaa Makhlouf the workers seat. Mohamed El Garwany also won the workers seat, in Berket El Saba.
In Shohda, there will be a run-off between NDP candidate Ahmed Essawy and MB candidate Youssef Taleeb.
In the governorate of Minya, the NDP has secured two seats so far. Primary results reveal that a run-off might be held between MB candidate Mohamed Saad El-Katatny, head of the Brotherhood’s bloc in parliament, and the NDP’s Mahmoud Marwan. A run-off will also be held between Wafd candidate Rami Lakah and the NDP’s Fady El Habasy over the Shubra and Mahmasha constituency.
Diaa Rashwan from the Tagammu Party is also leading in his constituency in Luxor. Also from the Tagammu Party, Ahmed Soliman and Refaey Hamada from the NDP will come to heads in a run-off next week for a seat in El Manakh. The Wafd’s Mohamed Roshdy and Tamer Ammar from the NDP will also compete for the area's professional seat in run-offs.
Other prominent opposition members who are in the lead are Fouad Badrawi and Monir Fakhry Abdel Nour, both from the Wafd Party. Mesaad El Meleigy also from Wafd won in his constituency.
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