EXCLUSIVE PICTURES
There has been unprecedented participation in the first stage of the parliamentary elections in Egypt. Record turnouts were recorded in all polling stations.
Despite cold weather and heavy rain, voters formed queues which, in some areas, were hundreds of metres long. The situation led to the closure of several streets in Cairo and the disruption of traffic, especially when the queues reached two kilometres in length.
Several human rights centres detected some malpractice by candidates, both independent and those belonging to parties. This included speeches praising candidates’ virtues in front of polling stations and mosques, especially by the Freedom and Justice, and Al-Nour parties.
Voting was suspended temporarily in some polling stations to allow voters and officials to attend to their midday prayers.
