CAIRO: Egypt’s election body on Saturday announced the final results of a months-long parliamentary election, with a pro-government coalition dominating a vote critics said would further cement President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s grip on power.
Half of the seats were filled through closed party lists and the other half by individual candidates, while five percent of MPs are appointed directly by the president. A quarter of the seats are also reserved for women.
Of the half for individual candidates, the three main parties of pro-government coalition ‘National List for Egypt’ won 164 seats, the election body said. A total of 596 seats make up the Egyptian parliament.
The majority of the remaining individual seats went to smaller parties or independent candidates who are also considered close to the government.
The pro-Sisi Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future) party and the National Front party -- headed by former minister Essam al-Gazzar -- lead the 12-member coalition.
