Egyptians head to polls in final round of landmark vote

CAIRO: Egyptians headed to the polls again on Wednesday in the final round of a phased election to choose the first parliament since a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.

Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) for a second day of voting in the Nile Delta provinces of Qaliubiya, Gharbiya and Daqahliya; the New Valley province; the southern governorates of Minya and Qena; the border province of Matruh; and in North and South Sinai.

Islamist parties scored a crushing victory in the first two phases of the polls, which began in other parts of the country on November 28, mirroring a pattern in the region since the Arab Spring uprisings overthrew authoritarian secular regimes.

The third and final two-day round of the elections got off to a sluggish start on Tuesday, with only small queues forming outside polling stations throughout the day.