Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Claims 35% In Latest Election Results

 Egypt’s conservative Islamic groups have again won the bulk of votes in the third and final round of parliamentary elections in the country, spokesmen from both the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the Salafist al-Nour Party told Bikyamasr.com on Saturday evening. They are hopeful that the gains will help both groups implement their policies into legislative action later this month when parliament is expected to convene. The FJP, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, again won the ballot, earning what its members said were around 35 percent of votes. Essam al-Erian, FJP’s deputy, told Bikyamasr.com at a rally that he is “pleased with the results and hopes this will bring about consolidation of the party’s platforms and ideas for Egypt.” At the same time, however, he was hopeful of the diversity in Parliament, saying that no group will be able to do what they want. “This will be a compromise parliament for sure because we are not joining with the al-Nour Party and are hopeful to build good relationships,” he said. Run-off elections are to take place this week. The al-Nour party of the ultra-conservative Salafists, said it received 27 percent. The results continued their strong showings in the first two rounds, where they earned some 65 percent of the total votes, despite surprisingly lower than expected voter turnout. The third round of voting saw some 60 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the first post-Hosni Mubarak election. The al-Wafd Party cames third at the expense of the secular Egyptian Bloc, which won fewer votes in the final phase.