An Egyptian voter casts his ballot at a polling station in Giza, Egypt, on Oct. 18, 2015. Egyptians began voting Sunday in the country's first parliamentary election since former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in 2013. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
CAIRO, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's first parliamentary election in three years started Sunday amid tightened security measures.
The long-awaited polls will be conducted in two phases between Oct. 17 and Dec. 2, with Egyptians residing abroad beginning casting votes on Saturday.
Due to threats of regular militant attacks since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, at least 185,000 military troops will secure the election in the first phase, official news agency MENA reported. The Interior Ministry said they will be joined by 180,000 police.
In the early hours Sunday, security forces defused two bombs planted near a balloting station in Fayoum province. Locals also reported a dubious object near the fence of a primary school grouping many election committees. No casualties have been reported, MENA added.
In a TV speech to the nation Saturday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on all Egyptians to head to the ballot boxes. He also urged the armed forces and the Interior Ministry to secure the voting process.
More than 27 million voters from 14 provinces are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday and Monday in the first phase, according to the country's High Electoral Committee.
The parliament will be made up of 596 seats, of which 448 will be elected as independents, 120 go to winner-takes-all party lists, and the rest 28 will be presidential appointees.
After the previous assembly was dissolved in June 2012, Egypt has been without a parliament for three years. The polls will mark the last milestone in Egypt's three-stage roadmap to democracy, after adopting the new constitution and holding the presidential elections.
