Voting begins in decisive Egypt Senate elections

The run-off round for the 2020 Senate elections in Egypt began on Tuesday to determine 26 individual system seats in the country.

Fifty-two candidates for the runoff round come from 14 governorates: Giza, Qalyubia, Port Said, Ismailia, Menofia, Kafr El Sheikh, Damietta, Beni Suef, Assiut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan and Matrouh. The Senate, which was created in accordance with constitutional amendments approved last year, will act as an advisory chamber to the House of Representatives. It will sit in place of the Shoura Council, the upper house of parliament that was dissolved in 2014. Voting by mail for Egyptians living overseas ended on Sept. 7. The National Election Commission, headed by Lashin Ibrahim, said that 74 seats were decided by the single system in 13 governorates.

The National Unified List won after gaining more than 5 percent

of the vote in each district during the first round last August. Two-thirds of the Senate members are elected via the individual candidacy and closed party list systems, with the rest to be appointed by Egypt’s president. The first session of the Senate is set to be held in October, with its first 5-year term due to end in 2025.

Senate proposals focus on supporting democracy, social values as well as public freedoms and duties.

The Senate’s opinion is taken on proposals to amend one or more articles of the constitution, the draft general plan for social and economic development, peace and alliance treaties and all treaties related to the rights of sovereignty.