Egypt's first-phase parliamentary elections close with low turnout
By REUTERS
The first phase of Egypt's long-awaited parliamentary elections has wrapped up as the second round of voting closed on Wednesday night local time with a low turnout.The official data show that the turnout of the first round of voting in the first phase of Egypt's parliamentary elections was around 26 percent. The turnout rate for the second round of voting has not been released yet but it is widely estimated to be even lower than that in the first round."It is being positive to go to the polling stations to vote, and I didn't because I don't know much about anyone of the candidates. There is no candidate who has enough popularity and charisma that make him unique," said a resident in Giza, Egypt's third-largest city.Many Egyptian experts say the low turnout is partly because none of the contesting political parties has enough influence among the Egyptian public.The country has gone through three rounds of constitutional referendums, two parliamentary elections and two presidential elections since the fall of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
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