Violence in Egypt run-off voting

BBC NEWS
2005/11/15 16:56:44 GMT

Violence has marred run-off voting in the first round of Egyptian parliamentary elections.

A woman was shot and injured outside a polling station in a working-class area in Cairo, hospital sources said.

In southern Egypt, a party worker from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) is reported to have stabbed a Muslim Brotherhood campaigner.

Voters are deciding the outcome of 133 constituencies where no candidate won more than 50% of the votes last week.

In a number of seats the Islamic group, the Muslim Brotherhood, will run against candidates from President Hosni Mubarak's NDP.

The Brotherhood is officially banned but its candidates stand as independents.

The NDP, which has dominated parliament for decades, is expected to keep its majority in the national assembly, but opposition parties are hoping to increase their representation.

The Egyptian authorities said less than a quarter of the electorate turned out to vote last week.

There were widespread opposition allegations of fraud.

The second round of the elections takes place on 20 November, and the third round on 1 December.