Egyptians are going to the polls for the second round of elections to a new parliament. The first round earlier this month was dominated by Islamist parties, with the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party winning 36.6 per cent of vote. They are set to consolidate their gains this week, with polling taking place in more rural and conservative areas.

The aim is to elect a Lower House of Parliament, which will then appoint a committee to draft a new constitution for the post-revolution era. Voting has been staggered over three months to allow each round to be carefully supervised by the judiciary.

BBC reports yesterday December 14 said under Egypt’s complex electoral system, two-thirds of the 498 elected seats in the People’s Assembly will be picked through proportional representation, using lists drawn up by parties and alliances. The remaining seats are decided by a first-past-the-post-system, with individual candidates required to win more than 50 per cent of the votes to avoid a run-off contest.

The second round is taking place in nine regions, including some outer districts of the capital, Cairo, and in more rural regions around the Nile Delta, traditionally a stronghold of Political Islam. Voting will take place over two days. Just as in the first round, queues formed early at polling stations and there were delays as some failed to open on time. The third round will be held in January, while a presidential election is scheduled to be held in mid-2012.