Islamists look to extend gains in Egypt parliamentary elections

In the individual contests, all but four of the 56 seats up for grabs went into a run-off vote being held yesterday, with about 20 of them being contested between FJP and Nour candidates.

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CAIRO // Islamist candidates yesterday looked to extend their victory in Egypt's first parliamentary elections since Hosni Mubarak's regime ended, as voters turned out for run-off polls.

Last week, residents in a third of the country's districts cast ballots at the start of the multi-stage polls, choosing a party and two candidates for a new 498-seat lower house of parliament.

In the party returns, Islamists picked up at least 65 per cent of votes, with the more moderate Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in first place with 36.6 per cent and the hardline Salafist party Nour second with 24.4 per cent.

In the individual contests, all but four of the 56 seats up for grabs went into a run-off vote being held yesterday, with about 20 of them being contested between FJP and Nour candidates.

Out of the 52 run-off contests taking place, the Muslim Brotherhood's FJP said it had a candidate in 47 of them, while Nourhad 26, meaning they are almost certain to increase their representation.

The Brotherhood's FJP had been widely forecast to triumph in the first free election in decades.