Some citizens in Dokki, Giza, circulated campaign flyers outside polling stations against independent candidate Amr al-Shobaky, claiming that the Coptic Church supports him.
Shobaky, a political science professor running for the professional seat in Giza's third constituency, is competing with Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) candidate Ahmed Darrag.
"I had a hope that FJP would commit to ethical competition rather than resorting to that kind of cheap propaganda, which revives the practices of the dissolved National Democratic Party," Shobaky said, commenting on the incident.
Meanwhile, military police forces shot in the air to disperse a fight in front of the Omar Ibn al-Khattab School polling station in Monufiya, in fear of attempts to manipulate the contents of balloting boxes.
The average voter turnout as of 3 pm was about 13 percent, sources from the high elections commission said.
Monufiya and Beni Suef had the highest turnouts, with 20 percent of eligible voters heading to the polls. About 5 percent of eligible voters turned out in Sharqiya and Ismailia, and about 15 percent did so in Beheira, Giza, Sohag and Suez.
Rights group reports electoral violations in run-offs
Monitors have noticed an increase in electoral violations in several governorates, as run-offs kick off for the second phase of People's Assembly elections.
At some polling stations, observers were prevented from taking photos. Other stations didn't include curtained voting areas, and some constituencies had verbal abuses.
The One World Foundation, an Egyptian human rights group, said supporters of the Salafi-led Nour Party prevented one of its observers from taking photos outside a polling station in Arbaeen, Suez.
Army officers also impeded its monitoring activities at another station in Minyal Shiha, Giza, the foundation said.
The foundation said an army officer at a polling station in Ahnasia, Beni Suef, confiscated the cellphone of one of its agents and deleted video clips saved on it before returning it back. A police patrol arrested another observer in Zorab, Suez.
One World also reported quarrels and verbal abuses between security forces and supporters of candidates in Ismailia and Suez.
Al-Masry Al-Youm reporters said young Nour Party supporters campaigned against Mohamed al-Sawy, a candidate for the Democratic Alliance, a coalition led by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.
Nour campaigners circulated flyers that said Sawy "adopts liberal principles that lack bases in Islamic laws." They said Sawy had established El Sawy Culture Wheel, which "hosts secularist and anti-Islamist figures such as author Alaa al-Aswany."
"I will not defend myself. The election results will decide," Sawy said in response. "They should stop attempts to control people's minds and cease religious discrimination."
In Giza's fifth constituency, army forces at Mohamed Farid School's polling station forced out female Nour Party supporters in response to voters' complaints.
A slow start
Earlier Wednesday morning, few voters had arrived at polling stations to vote, Egyptian media reports said.
The nine governorates voting are Giza, Beni Suef, Monufiya, Sharqiya, Ismailia, Suez, Beheira, Sohag and Aswan. There are 118 single-winner candidates competing for 59 seats in 30 constituencies.
Nearly 18 million people are eligible to vote in the run-offs.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi-led Nour Party dominated the second stage of voting, which started 14 December.
The two parties will compete fiercely this round, with FJP fielding 47 candidates and Nour fielding 36.
Media reports said voter turnout remained low until 11 am at a number of polling stations in Sharqiya and Beni Suef.
One World Foundation, an Egyptian human rights group, said its monitors have detected voting delays in Giza, Sohag, Aswan, Beni Suef, Beheira and Suez for various reasons.
A report by the organization said supporters of political parties, especially Nour Party, resumed illegal campaigning outside the stations in violation of electoral laws.
Egypt's Interior Ministry said security forces will remain at polling stations until voting ends at 7 pm.
Three list-based constituencies in the governorates of Beheira, Sohag and Monufiya will also vote Wednesday. The high elections commission had postponed voting there because court rulings said more electoral lists should be added.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
