CAIRO // A trickle of Egyptians came out to vote in a parliamentary run-off yesterday in which the ruling party was often the only contestant.
The vote for about half the seats in the People's Assembly, the lower and more powerful house of parliament, marked the second and final part to an electoral process that has been widely criticised by independent monitors and analysts for suspected fraud.
The two major opposition parties in Egypt, the secular Wafd party and the Muslim Brotherhood, both refused to take part in the run-off after alleging fraud in last Sunday's first round of voting, although their candidates' names remained printed on ballots and some candidates defied party leaders to campaign yesterday.
Across Egypt, only five per cent of eligible voters showed up to cast a ballot, estimated Magdy Abdulhamid, the co-ordinator of the Independent Coalition to Monitor Elections, an umbrella group of non-governmental organisations that fielded 1,000 volunteers at the polls and kept its own statistics. He and other vote monitors put last Sunday's turnout at around 10 per cent, far less than the official participation rate of just under 35 per cent offered by the High Elections Commission.
The election comes at a key time for Egypt. The country's 81-year-old president, Hosni Mubarak, will have to decide whether to cede power to a successor next year.
Shadi Hamid, the director of research at the Brookings Doha Center and an expert of Egyptian politics, said blatant electoral manipulation by Mr Mubarak's bloc, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), will result in "a parliament here with virtually no opposition to speak of".
Both NDP supporters and opponents have forecasted the party will win as much as 95 per cent of seats in the 518-member Assembly.
"What could have been a resounding victory for the NDP has instead turned into an embarrassing debacle, one that calls into question the regime's judgment and political instincts at such a critical time in Egypt's history," Mr Hamid said.
"This election marks the first time in recent memory that the NDP made such a strategic blunder, and such an obvious one."
The government-appointed High Elections Commission, which says it is fully independent, admitted some irregularities but denied allegations of widespread fraud last week.
"The elections as a whole were conducted properly and the results announced earlier reflected the will of the Egyptian electorate," the commission said in a statement on Friday.
But analysts and independent vote monitors said concern over the looming presidential vote drove an aggressive strategy by the NDP and government security forces that all but shut out the opposition by stuffing ballot boxes and intimidating opposition voters and supporters.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Islamist opposition group, is on track to lose all of its 88 seats in the Assembly after failing to win a single seat last Sunday and refusing to take part yesterday. Two Wafd party candidates who won last Sunday will either resign their seats or face expulsion from the party, said Abdulaziz el Nahass, a member of the Wafd party's higher office.
In addition, six of nine candidates from the Wafd party who failed to observe the boycott yesterday are also likely to be expelled, Mr el Nahass said.
The boycotts led to a number of races yesterday in which NDP candidates were the only ones left campaigning.
In Bulaq al Dakrour, a working-class district within the city of Giza, few of those interviewed yesterday in cafes and shops had any plans to vote or cared much about the result at the polls.
Two NDP candidates were vying for one of the district's two seats, while the other seat was contested by an NDP member and an ex-NDP member who ran as an independent but has allied himself to the party. Candidates from other parties, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, failed to garner enough votes in last Sunday's vote to advance.
"It's not worth the trouble of trying to enter and get past the security men at the gate," said Aymad Abu Dahab, who sat in a coffee shop less than 200 metres away from a polling station. "They come here and campaign and then do nothing."
Mohammed Fariq Ali and about a dozen friends, all recent graduates of Cairo University, were gathered at a coffee shop on the other side of the district and said they were waiting to vote until the late afternoon, when they hoped to be paid between 150 and 200 Egyptian pounds (Dh95-127) to mark their ballots for the highest bidder.
"We are sitting here drinking tea for now," he said. "We'll wait until 4pm to go down there."
foreigndesk@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
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The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
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