EgyptVotes

The landslide win of Islamist forces - the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the Salafis - in results of the first round of elections posed a major threat to civil forces, especially those that emerged from the revolution, such as the Revolution Continues and the Egyptian Bloc. Consequently, both sides called for the need to coordinate during the run-off elections. EgyptVotes investigated their coordination and challenges faced before run-offs in the Cairo governorate.

The election result in the delta town of Damietta illustrates how the Islamic parties were the only political entity that were established within the social fabric of Egyptian society before the revolution, for which they are now being rewarded at the ballot box. 

Breaches were common in first round of the elections, which lacked of an organised political security system to avert them. Yet, the intentions to make the elections succeed, public awareness that arose amid voting-fever, and civil society supervision, all worked to lessen breaches and irregularities. EgyptVotes reports from Port Said its encounter with some of the breaches.

Preliminary election indicators gave a lead to Islamist parties, followed immediately by the Egyptian Bloc, with a poor performance by the Revolution Continues list. The exception to this is the second electoral district in Alexandria, which pushed former al-Tagammu Party representative Abul Ezz al-Hariri into the lead, a wild card that improves the list's chances. This begs the question: is the Revolution Continues a head without a body – a party that is nothing without its prominent figures?

Voters turned out in large numbers outside polling stations in Damietta, undeterred by hours of waiting in queues and rain that poured over the past two days. Surprisingly the first round of elections in Damietta saw a fallout among the Islamist parties while civic party reperesentatives meant to monitor voting were nowhere to be found at polling stations.