Qena–Candidates of the ruling National Democratic Party swept Qena’s southern governorate in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results. However, only two NDP candidates won seats outright as clashes between conflicting tribes produced widespread panic.
All opposition candidates there lost. Liberal Wafd Party had nominated 9 candidates, Leftist Tagammu had nominated 6 candidates, and pan-Arabist Nasserist had nominated 3 candidates.
Muslim Brotherhood incumbent Hesham al-Kady lost in the city of Qus.
Of the few Copts running for election, all lost.
Bullets fired since the early morning left the governorate’s main cities largely empty, and schools shut down inQena, Niqada, Naga Hammadi, Raesiya and other cities.
Only one casualty was reported. Medical sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that a bullet fragment injured Gehan Alsayed, an 11 year old girl.
Hesham al-Sheaieny, an NDP candidate from Raesiya, will proceed to the run-off election planned for 5 December.
NDP’s Mamdouh Mahmoud is the second candidate to pass initial elections in the city of Qus against Muslim Brotherhood rival Hesham al-Kady.
Sixteen seats of the 508 seat parliament represent Qena. Egyptian law reserves two additional seats for women.
An NDP source noted the ruling party’s satisfaction with the results since almost every district includes at least one NDP candidate in the run-off.
In Sunday's vote, clashes erupted between supporters. Some campaigners expressed anger after being denied access to polling stations.
Members of the Ashraf tribe, supporters of an NDP candidate, hurled Molotov cocktails at voters in one polling station.
Electoral observers said that since NDP candidates enjoy popularity in the governorate, security forces chose not to interfere with the electoral process there.
Nonetheless, voter turnout remained low. Local elections commission sources claimed that around 20 percent of 214 thousand voters registered in the city of Qena casted votes.
In Naga Hammadi, a run-off is scheduled between NDP candidates Abdul Rahim al-Ghoul and Fathy Kandil.
Christian eyewitnesses said on Sunday that the city, where six Copts were killed in a drive-by shooting in January, witnessed an intimidation campaign to dissuade the large Coptic community from voting.
Many Naga Hammadi’s Copts have linked al-Ghoul with a Muslim gang member currently being tried for indiscriminately murdering Copts last January. Al-Ghoul, a long time NDP candidate, denies the allegations.
