Egypt vote counting begins

Vote counting was underway in Egypt today following legislative elections which independent monitors charged were marred by several deaths, violent clashes, intimidation and ballot stuffing.

Early estimates put voter turnout for yesterday's vote at around 25 per cent, slightly lower than five years ago.

Final results, which are expected to hand a solid majority of parliament's 508 elected seats to the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) of President Hosni Mubarak, are expected tomrrow.

Press reports said that up to four people were killed in election-related violence while monitors said they had recorded numerous electoral violations, including ballot stuffing and denying voters access to polling stations.

"Four dead in 'violent' vote," ran the headline of the pro-government Egyptian Gazette on Monday, which said three of the dead were killed in separate incidents in Cairo, the Nile Delta and southern Egypt.