CAIRO – Egyptians residing abroad have begun casting votes in the country’s first parliamentary election since the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
Egypt’s state-run news wire says embassies and consulates in 139 countries will be open for two days of voting.
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The vote is staggered, with polling in half of Egypt’s governorates set to start Sunday. The election will take place in two phases, concluding in early December.
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Few candidates have broad recognition or clear platforms, and most have a pro-government bent.
The vote will mark the final step in what has been billed as a transition to democracy. But critics say the next legislature is likely to be a rubber-stamp body that further solidifies the power of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, a former general who led Morsi’s overthrow.
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