Egypt prepares for the third and final round of elections to the lower house of the country’s parliament that will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Freedom and Justice Party, created by the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, and the Salafi Nour Party are leading after the first two stages of the elections, which kicked off on November 28, 2011.
The final results of the elections are expected to be announced on January 13 and the first session of the new parliament’s lower house is slated for January 23.
The country has a complex three-stage scheme of voting, which takes almost three months. A total of 55 parties were registered to take part in the polls.
Last November’s election date was put into question by violent protests in Cairo and Alexandria against delays in the transition to civilian rule following February's overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. Over 40 people were killed and hundreds injured.
The current elections are viewed as the first serious step in handing over power to democratically elected authorities.
