
Polling stations open for 2nd day of 2025 Senate elections
The process is being supervised by 9,500 judges from the State Lawsuits Authority and the Administrative Prosecution Authority.
According to the National Elections Authority (NEA), 428 candidates are contesting individual seats—186 running as independents and 242 representing political parties.
Preliminary results are expected on 12 August. If no decisive outcome emerges, a runoff will be held both inside and outside Egypt.
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi cast his vote at Fatma Anan School in Fifth Settlement.
He emphasized the importance of voter participation, calling it a constitutional right and a civic duty.
He encouraged workers in the petroleum sector to take part in choosing their representatives, saying participation reflects national awareness and responsibility.
Minister of State for Military Production Mohamed Salah El-Din Mostafa also voted on Tuesday, at his polling station in Mokattam.
He similarly described voting as a national obligation and a reflection of Egyptians' commitment to shaping their country's future.
The Senate, Egypt's upper chamber of parliament, serves in a consultative capacity, while legislative authority remains with the House of Representatives.
The 300-member Senate is composed of three equal segments: one-third elected through individual candidacy, one-third via closed party lists, and one-third appointed by the president.
Women are guaranteed at least 10 percent of the seats. Members serve five-year terms.
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Mada
9 hours ago
- Mada
Cash coupons exchangeable for votes amid ‘meager' Senate election turnout in Cairo
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Security agencies instructed the organizations to mobilize beneficiaries of their services to vote, an organization director in the Marg area told Mada Masr. In return, the organizations gave voters coupons redeemable for cash sums ranging from LE200 to LE300, depending on the area. A source in the Nation's Future Party said that the party hired an advertising agency for this year's elections, which coordinated closely with civil society organizations to overcome criticism of the practice of using food cartons to mobilize voter turnout that has plagued the party in previous election cycles. This year, civil society organizations acted as an 'intermediary' between the party and voters under directives from security bodies, the Marg charity director said. The Nation's Future Marg office compiled voter lists for the district, printing each voter's name, polling station, and registration and station numbers onto white coupons, which were then handed over to civil society organizations to distribute to their beneficiaries the day before the vote, the charity director said. The organizations asked voters to hand in their white coupons after casting their ballots and, in exchange, the voter would be given a green or yellow voucher on which the same information was handwritten, the director continued. The voter would finally present the voucher to a party representative and collect the agreed-upon sum of cash. 'The voter casts their ballot in a minute and receives the money within half an hour to two hours,' the director said. They described the charity organizations' role as 'organizing the process and reducing the chances of manipulation,' adding, 'I know the people of the area; the party doesn't.' An employee of another charity in Manshiyet Nasser described the organization they worked for as playing the same electoral function, saying, 'Organizations are the ones that gather people and distribute the money to them,' and citing cash sums of up to LE200. A deputy chair of the Administrative Prosecution Authority who participated in supervising voting in Cairo said a voter had told them that those who cast ballots on the first day received LE300, while those who voted on the second day were given LE200. The official added that from their post outside a polling station, they observed that most voters were elderly or low-income citizens, many of whom approached them to ask where they could redeem their vouchers. The station, where 10,000 voters were registered, recorded over 850 voters on the first day, the official said, while only 200 voters had shown up by 4 pm on the second day. The National Election Authority is expected to announce the final results on August 12, after counting both domestic and overseas ballots. All electoral procedures, including the announcement of final results, are scheduled to conclude by September 4. While the National Front Party — a new political entity headed by former Housing Minister Essam al-Gazzar and funded by fugitive-turned-businessman Ibrahim al-Argany — made a splash in the media last year after its launch, its debut in this summer's Senate elections largely complimented the electoral dominance of Nation's Future, with various National Front candidates running on electoral lists compiled by Nation's Future. Of the 300 Senate seats, 100 go to nominees who run on four, closed multi-candidate lists nationwide for which voters can cast their ballot. Only 100 go to nominees elected individually, while the final 100 seats are appointed by the president himself. The Nation's Future Party described the Senate elections as a strong comeback for the party on the electoral scene. The prosecution official described a strong presence from party members among polling station monitors and officials during the two days of voting in Cairo. The Manshiyet Nasser charity employee also described the party as 'providing microbuses to transport voters. It all wraps up quickly,' they said. When the second organization director Mada Masr spoke with in Marg was asked about their organization's position on other parties, especially those affiliated with the government, the director said, 'No one knows them. The Nation's Future Party is the nation itself.'


Al-Ahram Weekly
10 hours ago
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El-Sisi stresses Arab unity, warns against external interference - Foreign Affairs
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Middle East
10 hours ago
- Middle East
OPEN// FM: Egyptian expats' participation in future votes important
CAIRO, Aug 6 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty underlined the importance of Egyptian expatriates' participation in upcoming national elections to uphold the values of citizenship and to exercise their constitutional rights. This came during a meeting he had with the Egyptian community in Greece on Wednesday at the conclusion of his visit to Athens. He said he was keen on meeting with Egyptian communities during his foreign visits and welcomed the role of the Egyptian community in Greece in strengthening the bonds of relations between Egypt and Greece. He reviewed the diligent efforts undertaken by his ministry to promote digital transformation and develop consular services provided to Egyptians abroad to improve the quality of consular transactions. He also briefed the community members on the various initiatives launched by the ministry in cooperation with different state institutions recently to serve the interests of Egyptians abroad, stressing that this comes within the framework of the State's support of the interests of its citizens abroad. Abdelatty reviewed the outcomes of the 6th Conference of Egyptians Abroad, held in Cairo on August 3-4, and the initiatives launched during its sessions. "Your School in Egypt" initiative for the children of Egyptians abroad is among the important initiatives launched at the conference to provide distinguished educational services for the sons of Egyptians living abroad and facilitating their study of the Egyptian curriculum, with a focus on strengthening their cultural and educational ties to their homeland, said Abdelatty. The top diplomat reviewed the grave challenges facing the region and the efforts made by the Egyptian state to protect its national security and maintain its safety and stability. At the end of the meeting, an interactive discussion was held with members of the community, during which he listened to their views on ways to meet their needs and their suggestions for developing consular services abroad. (MENA) A I E/S R E