The first round run-offs of Egypt's two-stage parliamentary elections produced a 21.7% turnout, the country's High Elections Committee (HEC) said on Friday.

The HEC head Ayman Abbas told a news conference that 5.554678 million out of 25.582518 million voters had cast their ballot in the run-offs, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Among those voters were 19,835-foreign based Egyptians in 139 countries.

The turnout in the run-off was less than the 26.69 percent who voted in the first round earlier this month.

"The turnout of these elections was not the lowest in Egypt's parliamentary elections history. This year's turnout in total was 26.69 percent while turnout in the parliamentary elections in 2005 was 23 percent. The turnout in the Shura council (Upper House) elections in 2012 was 12 percent," he said.

"The highest turnout among the 14 governorates in this round was Matrouh (near the Libyan borders) with a turnout of 33.45 percent; while the lowest was Alexandria with a turnout of 14.83 percent."

The total number of appeals given before the committee were 367. Abbas said that they were all rejected except for three that the committee is still studying.

The second and final stage of the elections in the remaining governorates will take place on 21 and 22 November, with run-offs, if necessary, due on 1 and 2 December.

Abbas also said that a total of 273 candidates have secured their seats in the country's upcoming parliament. He broke the number of the candidates saying that 213 independent candidates won in the first round of the elections.

He then said that among the 213 independent candidates there are 108 who are party-affiliated. All 60 seats for the lists in this round went to the "For the Love of Egypt" list that is being coordinated by former intelligence member Sameh Seif El-Yazal.

The Free Egyptians Party, founded by billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris following the popular 2011 revolt, has clinched the biggest quota, announcing it has won 41 seats.

Out of the individual candidates who won in the elections' first stage, five were women and 10 were less than 35 years old, Abbas said.

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/162247.aspx

Photo: Head of the High Electoral Committee Ayman Abbas announcing results of the parliamentary elections first round on Friday 30, October 2015 (Photo: Al-Ahram)