Turnout at 12.2 % for 2nd round of Egypt's house polls

The turnout for the second phase vote of the Egyptian Shura Council (upper house of the parliament) was 12.2 percent, chief of the Egyptian High Judicial Election Commission said Friday. Only 3 million out of around 25 million eligible voters cast their ballots in the second round voting held on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 in 14 governorates, the official, Abdel Moez Ibrahim, told reporters. The run-off of the second phase will be held on Feb. 22, and the first session of the upper house is scheduled to be held on Feb. 28. The Shura Council elections have been marked by a low turnout. The first round, which was held on Jan. 29 and Jam. 30 in 13 governorates, saw a turnout of 15 percent and 6 percent in its run- off. The elections of the People's Assembly, or lower house of the parliament, were completed in mid-January, with a record high turnout of about 60 percent. Two major Islamic parties, the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist Nour Party, won around 70 percent of the seats.