Egypt Islamists Continue Gains in 2nd Round Vote

CAIRO (AP) — Islamist parties have consolidated earlier gains in Egypt’s multistage parliamentary elections, winning nearly 70 percent of the seats determined so far.

The election commission chief, Abdel-Moez Ibrahim, has announced the results from the second round, in which nine provinces with nearly 7 million voters cast their ballots.

Based on his announcement Saturday, the Muslim Brotherhood says it won around 86 of the 180 seats up for grabs in the round, or 47 percent.

The Al-Nour Party, the political arm of the ultraconservative Salafi movement, won around 20 percent of the vote.

The results mirror those from the first round of voting, held in late November, when the two blocs together won nearly 70 percent.

A third round of voting is to be held Jan. 3-4.