Two Egyptian voters wait outside a polling station in Giza, Egypt, on Oct. 18, 2015, the first day of the first phase of Egypt's parliamentary election. The early hours of the voting saw a low turnout, about 1.19 percent, a spokesperson of the High Electoral Committee said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Pan Chaoyue)
CAIRO, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's first parliamentary election in three years started Sunday amid tightened security measures and relatively low turnout.
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.
The early hours of the voting saw a low turnout, about 1.19 percent, a spokesperson of the High Electoral Committee said, with the coastal city of Alexandria reading the biggest rate of participation.
He added the female turnout is fourfold of that of the males, while the old-age categories topped the scene.
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 committee.
Nearly 16,000 judges will supervise the voting process, while 87 international and local non-governmental organizations are licensed for observation, according government reports.
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.
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.
Later in the day, another four bombs were dismantled in Giza district of Kerdasa, a crowded region with Islamists, state-run Ahram website reported.
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.
