President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi was among the first Arab leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on his election as US president. In a statement issued on 7 November Al-Sisi said he looked forward to working with the president-elect to boost strategic bilateral relations in the best interest of both countries and peoples. Al-Sisi’s statement came amid speculation in political circles over what Biden’s presidency will mean for Egypt. Gamal Zahran, a professor of political science at Suez University, said “there is a risk that Biden will exert pressure on Egypt over human rights and restoring the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in political life.” Noting that Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Qatar, Turkey, and London were vocal in welcoming Biden’s election, Zahran expects “they will use their influence among leftist and Islamist organisations in the US to push Biden to exert pressure on Egypt.” Zahran claimed the majority of Egyptians had hoped that Donald Trump would win a second term. “From his earliest days in power Trump sought to forge a close personal relationship with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and this helped serve Egypt’s interests.” According to Zahran, Trump was about to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation despite Democratic Party Congress members and the leftist media, particularly The New York Times, campaigning to prevent him from doing so. “Unlike Obama, Trump invited President Al-Sisi twice to the White House, and refused to exert pressure on Egypt in the areas of democracy and human rights. Trump even withheld $130 million in economic assistance to Ethiopia because of its rejection of the US-brokered deal on Addis Ababa’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.” Mahdi Afifi, an American-Egyptian political analyst and a member of the Democratic Party, agrees that the Muslim Brotherhood wanted Biden to win — “they even used their influence among Islamist movements in the US, particularly the Council on American-Islamic Relations, to rally support for Biden” — but dismisses suggestions that Biden will support the agenda of Islamist movements in the Arab world. “There is a general consensus inside the Democratic Party that the US must learn from what happened in Egypt in 2013 when the Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power in a popular uprising, and a belief that trying to support such movements only fuels extremism at the expense of American interests and security. “Both Democrats and Republicans in Washington recognise that the Muslim Brotherhood’s one-year rule in Egypt was a failure, and many Democrats in Congress have signalled their backing for moves to designate the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation,” said Afifi. Political analyst Moetaz Abdel-Fattah agrees that Islamist organisations in the US will try to push the Biden administration to exert pressure on Egypt and, should they succeed, Biden will be an extension of Obama. “But,” he adds as a coda, “it is unlikely that they will succeed.” “The situation is very different to what prevailed in 2013 and 2014. Egypt is now a strong country and has regained its influence in the Arab world and the Middle East. It has a lot of cards to withstand any foreign pressure and most American politicians now see Egypt as economically and politically stable.” Biden, in any case, will have enough on his plate sorting out America’s internal problems. “He has a lot of challenges ahead, containing the rapid spread of the coronavirus, fighting racial discrimination and police brutality, and tackling severe economic problems such as rampant unemployment and sluggish growth,” says Abdel-Fattah. On the foreign policy front Biden will have to address relations with China, Russia, Turkey and Iran. The president-elect has been clear in rejecting Turkey’s military cooperation with Russia and has vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. “I think Turkey will face a lot of pressure from Biden who has been openly critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s policies in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean,” says Abdel-Faytah. Political analyst Abdel-Moneim Said argues Biden will focus on containing the coronavirus crisis in the US, healing internal divisions and building new bridges with Washington’s NATO and EU allies. In his first speech following his election win Biden focused on healing internal divisions, controlling the coronavirus and restoring America’s position in the world. Biden, however, has announced during his election campaign a plan to host a “Summit for Democracy” soon after taking office. He said the summit would bring together numerous “like-minded nations” in a bid to bolster what many experts see as the flagging fortunes of liberal democracy in parts of the world. Some US media outlets, such as The Washington Post, said on Tuesday that Biden’s advisers have made it clear that, under his watch, the United States will re-evaluate the overall relationship with Saudi Arabia and, possibly, Egypt. Omar Mehanna, head of the Egyptian-American Business Council, believes Biden will be too busy reunifying American society to return to Obama-era policies in the Middle East. “Biden is a moderate politician. The fact he was Obama’s vice president does not mean he agreed with the administration’s policies in the Middle East. They were driven by Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Clinton, as her private e-mails reveal, supported Islamist movements, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. Kerry worked closely with the Brotherhood, but when they lost power he accepted the status quo and between 2014 and 2016 struck up a relationship with Al-Sisi, meeting him several times.” Amr Moussa, Egypt’s former foreign minister, said in a TV interview on Sunday that Egypt needed to prepare for a Biden administration and capitalise on its clout within America’s media and business circles. Ahmed Abul-Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, said in a TV interview on the same day that he knows Biden well. “I am sure he supports Egypt and is well aware that Cairo wilds a great deal of influence across the region.” Abul-Gheit added that, as Egypt’s minister of foreign affairs accompanying former president Hosni Mubarak during his last visit to Washington in 2010, he held a personal meeting with Joe Biden, and “during Mubarak’s meeting with Barack Obama, Biden asked to take the floor and expressed his appreciation of America’s friendship with Egypt”. Abul-Gheit sent a message of congratulations to Biden on Monday, wishing him success. “The Arab League is looking forward to dealing with your administration in achieving our mutual interests and pushing the agenda of peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region forward,” he said.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker on Monday, Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for intensifying work in linkage power ventures with neighbouring countries. El-Sisi said that electricity production should be maximised to meet local demands and export surpluses to countries that are linked with electricity grids. Egypt has signed agreements with a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Iraq, to establish electricity grids as part of the country s plan to become an international energy hub. A trilateral interconnection grid between Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan is due to be set up, as agreed upon during a tripartite summit held in Amman in August to enhance cooperation in all fields, especially in energy, power linkages, and infrastructure. The president was briefed on the latest developments concerning linkage power projects with Sudan as well as with Jordan and Iraq, the presidential spokesman Bassam Rady added. He also was briefed on the latest developments concerning a number of national electricity projects that are being implemented in Sinai, the South Valley and the New Administrative Capital, according to Rady. El-Sisi also ordered the expansion of renewable energy projects in partnership with the private sector, as well as continuing efforts to upgrade the electricity system in Egypt, as part of the state s developmental plan.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his country’s aspiration to deepen cooperation with Egypt to counter growing extremism and intolerance, as he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday, the presidency said. The French FM’s visit to Egypt comes amid an uproar and condemnation of comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron on Islam, as well as calls to boycott French products after Macron defended people’s right to make images of the Prophet Muhammad, something which is highly forbidden in Islam. Le Drian, during the meeting with El-Sisi, affirmed France’s respect and appreciation of all religions and religious values and principles, hailing Egypt as a model of moderation, according to the statement. He also referred to Egypt’s approach in establishing values of co-existence, freedom of worship and respect of the other. He also praised Egypt’s efforts under President El-Sisi to allow dialogue among people of different religions. El-Sisi stressed the urgent need to consolidate all efforts to establish tolerance among religions, extend bridges of understanding and brotherhood and avoid attacking religious symbols. The president voiced categorical rejection of all forms of terrorism and the act of tying any religion with violent and extremist acts. He pointed out Egypt’s experience in establishing tolerance, renouncing violence, extremist thought and terrorism. El-Sisi voiced Egypt’s willingness to cooperate with and endorse all international efforts to enhance these concepts. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and French Ambassador to Cairo Stéphane Romatet. El-Sisi and Le Drian also discussed recent developments in Libya. El-Sisi reviewed with the French FM Egypt’s unchangeable strategic stance on Libya, especially concerning supporting current negotiations, maintaining a ceasefire, conducting elections, and forming a new government. Le Drian also met on Sunday with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top religious authority, Ahmed El-Tayyeb.

Voting continues to run smoothly in the final day of voting for the second phase of Egypt’s House of Representatives elections, head of the national election authority (NEA) Lashin Ibrahim said on Sunday. Ibrahim said that the NEA has an open line of communication with judicial authorities in the 13 governorates overseeing the elections to ensure an orderly process. Earlier on Sunday, polls reopened in several regions in Egypt for the second phase of the House of Representatives elections. All polling stations, set at 9,468, opened their doors at 9 am to receive voters who adhered to the coronavirus preventive measures, including wearing face masks. Voting will run until 9 pm on Sunday, concluding the second stage of the parliamentary elections. The second stage of parliamentary elections covers 13 governorates: Cairo, Qalioubiya, Daqahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Temperature checks have been used in several polling stations in New Cairo, with the elections seeing a high turnout by women in most polling stations. Several officials, including Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled Al-Anany, Health Minister Hala Zayed, and Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan have cast their ballots in their polling stations.The first day of voting saw a good voter turnout, with the voting process running smoothly, the NEA said on Saturday. Around 31 million Egyptians are eligible to cast their ballots in the second phase. Wearing face masks and adhering to social distancing are among the mandatory restrictions adopted during the election. Some 2,083 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. The domestic vote comes days after around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries concluded on Friday mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad after opening to receive ballots on Wednesday. The results of the second stage are set to be announced on 15 November.Earlier this month, the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping the majority of votes. The turnout in the first stage was 28.06 percent, with the number of people casting their vote amounting to slightly more than nine million out of 31.7 million eligible voters in the 14 governorates included in that phase. The number of seats allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. Run-offs will be held for both the first and second stage this month and December, respectively.

For the second day, Egyptian embassies abroad continued Thursday receiving ballot papers from expats voting in the second stage of Egypt s parliamentary elections, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by the Mostaqbal Watan Party. Around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries opened for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad. The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates, including Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Expat voters select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the National Election Authority (NEA) website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Embassies will close their doors Friday, 9pm local time, to begin the vote count. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. Second stage voting at home is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with the results to be announced 15 November. The results of the first stage of the parliamentary elections were announced Sunday. Only 32 MPs were named after receiving the absolute majority of votes during that round, while the other 220 seats are still up for grabs in a run-off to be held later this month.

Egyptian embassies abroad began Wednesday receiving ballot papers from expats voting in the second phase of Egypt s parliamentary elections, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by the Mostaqbal Watan Party. Embassies in New Zealand, the UK, Spain, Italy, Japan, Sudan, South Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, among others, began receiving mail-in ballots at 9am local time. Around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries opened for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad. The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates, including Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the National Election Authority (NEA) website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced 15 November. The start of the second stage comes days after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. Some 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. The run-offs will be held domestically for the first phase on 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home to be held 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced 14 December.

Egypt condemned “in the strongest terms” a terrorist attack in Vienna on Monday that killed at least five people, including an attacker, and injured at least 15 others as gunmen opened fire in six different locations in the city. In an official statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry express its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. It stressed its support to the government and people of Austria over the “brutal attack”, expressing its confidence in the Austrian people in overcoming the tragic situation. The ministry also reiterated its firm rejection of all types of violence, terrorism and extremism; urging the necessity of joining and intensifying international efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms. On Monday, an unknown number of gunmen carrying long firearms opened fire into crowds in bars during the last evening before a nationwide curfew is imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic in the country. Police said the attack was carried out by at least one suspect who was shot and killed by officers. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said in a press conference that the known attacker was an Islamic State sympathiser. It remains unclear if the suspect acted alone, as authorities continue to inspect over 20,000 videos to determine how many assailants were involved in the attack.

Egyptian expats started on Monday printing their ballot papers ahead of the start of voting in the second phase of the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by Mostaqbal Watan Party. Around 140 polling stations in the country’s embassies and consulates in 124 countries will open for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad in the second phase of the parliamentary elections, which starts Wednesday, according to the National Election Authority (NEA). The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates and includes Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Meoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Electoral silence for the second phase of the elections began Sunday . Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters will select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the NEA website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced on 15 November. The start of the second stage comes one day after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping up the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. They will be held domestically for the first phase of 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home held on 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced on 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced on 14 December.

Egypt s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met on Friday with the Russian deputy foreign minister and special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, to discuss means to boost bilateral relations, the Egyptian foreign ministry stated. The two sides touched upon a number of significant bilateral files related to ongoing projects that are part of the Egyptian-Russian strategic partnership. Topping the discussions were the Russian executive measures to set up an industrial zone in Egypt s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ) and the construction of the Dabaa plant, Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. The plant is to be built in the Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast, 250km west of Alexandria. The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) will develop the plant, which will be owned and operated by the Nuclear Power Plant Authority of Egypt. Shoukry also reviewed the latest developments concerning the revived talks over the massive dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, which is of concern to Egypt and Sudan. Bogdanov expressed his country s hope the three African countries will reach a consensual deal that preserves their people s interests. The three countries started this week a new round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), reviving negotiations stalled since August. The meeting also tackled joint coordination to combat terrorism and extremism, in addition to a number of regional issues related to Libya, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, and Sudan, the statement added.

Egypt’s Minister of Education Tarek Shawky revealed on Wednesday that the were 49 recorded coronavirus cases out of 25 million students in the school system since the start of academic year on 17 October. In TV statements to DMC TV network, Shawky explained that the numbers were based on a report presented by Minister of Health Hala Zayed about coronavirus cases in schools and educational institutions. “There are 19 cases in Cairo governorate, one case in six governorates, two or three cases in other governorates, and no cases in 14," he said. He added "there was nothing to worry about as the numbers were reassuring and not alarming and the cases in the schools were without symptoms." Minister Shawky said the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the necessity of re-opening schools because there are lower rates of coronavirus infection among students and teachers worldwide. He cited a recent report issued in the United States called for the necessity of opening schools so students could have a direct education experience with teachers. The Ministry of Education has adopted preventative measures against the coronavirus to coincide with the start of the academic year including the implementation of a system using both in-school learning and e-learning to reduce the high density of students in classrooms. The ministry also mandated social distancing and face masks in all schools. According to coronavirus guidelines adopted by the education ministry, classrooms would be closed for 28 days in the case of more than one student testing positive for coronavirus in a period of two weeks. Also, a school would be closed for 28 days in case two or more classrooms in the school are closed due to coronavirus cases. A multi-school complex would also be shut down for 28 days in the case of closure of more than one school in the complex. Schools in a village or city can be closed on orders of the governorate in the event of quarantining in this village or city, and until the period of quarantine is over. Egypt has officially reported 107,030 cases of coronavirus including 6,234 fatalities and 99,174 full recoveries since the start of the pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases in the country has witnessed an uptick in the last several weeks. Over the past two weeks, Egyptian officials have urged caution in anticipation of any spike that could result in a second wave, especially with the resurgence in coronavirus cases in many European countries, particularly with the advent of autumn.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi praised on Wednesday the Prophet Muhammad “who established with wisdom and sound instructions great and immortal pillars and foundations for the whole of humanity." In a speech at the event, the president stressed that Islam champions freedoms. "The message of Islam that we have received from our noble prophet came as a victory for freedom; the freedom of faith, choice and belief and the freedom of opinion". "But these freedoms have not been absolute so that they are not turned by whim of the human soul to chaos that permits sabotage and destruction. Also, these freedoms should stop at the limits of other people s freedoms". The president s comments came during the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad at Al-Manara International Conference Center in Cairo. The event was attended by the Minister of Religious Endowments, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Prime Minister, and a number of religious and state officials. The president rejected attempts to use Islam to justify extremism. "Justifying extremism under the cover of religion is beyond Islam ... it is forbidden and prohibited ... it is no more than a tool to achieve limited interests." "The purpose of religions is achieving the interests of nations and the benefit of the people, through tolerance and ease, not through extremism and hardship." The president argued that Islamic jurisprudence is based on the concepts of mercy and tolerance. “Our celebration today of the birthday of the master of people and the prophet of mercy - peace be upon him- invokes all the meanings of mercy in our true religion, and reminds us that the tolerant Sharia of Islam is based on building, not demolishing, and this is anindication of what God Almighty said: ‘We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the world." The president reiterated his call for renewing religious discourse to protect society from the ploys of what he described as "the people of evil." This “requires the continuation of the heavy task and responsibility that religious scholars undertake to correct misconceptions, in order to protect society and the state from the plans of sabotage, and in order for the whole world to realize the tolerance of the great Islamic religion that is based on mercy, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people … among all people.” “Hence, the issue of wise awareness and a correct understanding of religion will remain one of the priorities in the current stage in confronting the people of evil,” the President said. He added that these [evil] people “distort the meanings of the [religious] texts, quote them out of context and interpret them according to their purposes or rely on wrong interpretations of them." Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa gifted the president two newly published religious books at the event. In a short speech, Gomaa commended the president on his stances against terrorism. "We did not forget and will not forget the day when you took a great patriotic stance at a very difficult time and said ‘you will take bullets directed at the chests of Egyptians, " Gomaa said. He also warned against what he described as "fourth generation warfare." "Armed gangs are one of the most important means of fourth-generation warfare to destroy countries," Gomaa stated. The president honoured a number of Islamic clerics during the event. The Prophet’s birthday is a holiday widely celebrated across Egypt and the Islamic world. The observance of the birthday of the Prophet is commemorated on the 12th of Rabi al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar, which falls this year on Thursday, 29 October. The anniversary will be a paid holiday for public and private sector workers. More to follow

The Chairman of Sudan s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a one-day visit to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, an official statement by the council read. Al-Burhan is accompanied by Sudanese foreign minister Omar Gamaleldin and head of the Sudanese general intelligence Jamal Abdul-Hamid. The visit comes days after Israel and Sudan agreed on Friday to normalize relations in a deal brokered with the help of the United States, making Sudan the third Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past two months.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has issued a decree renewing the state of emergency nationwide for three months starting Monday. According to the decree, whch was published in the official gazaette, the renewal allows the Egyptian armed forces and police to “take [measures] necessary to confront the dangers and the funding of terrorism, and to safeguard security in all parts of the country.” The state of emergency, which was first declared in April 2017 after two deadly church bombings that killed dozens of people, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, implementing development programs in a stable climate, and recently containing the coronavirus crisis. It has been renewed since for periods not exceeding three months, in accordance with the Egyptian constitution.

Polls reopened in several areas in Egypt on Sunday for the second and final voting day domestically for the new House of Representatives elections first stage, which are held amid strict preventive measures against the coronavirus pandemic. Poll stations reopened in 14 governorates at 9 am and will close at 9 pm.The National Election Authority (NEA) said it has not received complaints of violations related to the voting process on Saturday. The governorates included in the voting were Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, El-Wadi El-Gedid, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira and Matrouh.The results of the first round will be announced by 1 November at the latest. Many older people in the northern Beheira governorate were keen to participate in the elections to vote for their candidates. Beheira has more than nine constituencies and four million people who are entitled to vote in the House elections. As many as 214 candidates in the governorate are competing on 18 parliamentary seats.The first stage of run-offs will be held on 21-23 November for Egyptians abroad, and on 23-24 November at home. The final results will be declared on 30 November at the latest. The total number of eligible voters in Egypt is 63 million, out of a population of 100 million. The eligible voters in the first stage are estimated at nearly 33 million. The new House election is the second to be held in Egypt amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first being the Senate vote, which was held in August. Almost 4,000 individual candidates and eight coalition lists are competing over 568 seats in this election. A total of 284 seats will be up for grabs in the first stage, with half – 142 seats – allocated for individual candidates, and the other half for party lists. The second phase will see a first round on 7-8 November and run-offs on 7-8 December. The pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party, which currently holds majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, is fielding 284 candidates, the largest number from any party. The party is contesting all 143 individual districts as well as the four party list districts in the race. The number of women running in this election has increased from previous times. The Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights says 627 women participate in the elections among a total of 4,006 candidates, representing 8.6 percent of candidates. The female candidates include 303 independent candidates, 280 others on list system and 44 candidates who are part of political parties.

Egypt s health ministry has reaffirmed the necessity of compliance with all anti-coronavirus safety measures in anticipation of a rise in infections with the advent of autumn and temperature drops. Minister of Health Hala Zayed met late Wednesday with a number of the ministry s senior officials via video conference, to follow up on implementation of the ministry s plan to cope with the spread of the coronavirus, especially amid the onset of a second wave of the virus in many countries. Zayed ordered all isolation, diagnosis and triage hospitals be ready to deal with the anticipated increase in coronavirus cases. The minister called on health officials to ensure that all medical supplies, oxygen devices and ventilators are available, as well as ensuring the readiness of intensive care units, and applying updated treatment protocols and infection control standards. She stressed to officials that the delivery of all necessary medications to home isolation Covid-19 patients be maintained. Minister Zayed also urged all citizens to avoid gatherings and maintain social distancing in public places, as well as wearing protective face masks. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly warned of an anticipated spike in the rate of infections with the advent of autumn. Egypt has registered 105,883 coronavirus cases, including 6,155 deaths since the outbreak in mid-February, with relatively low daily numbers reported over the past three months. Madbouly, however, ordered stricter enforcement of regulations which stipulate obligatory face masks in public spaces and on various modes of transportation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Nicosia on Wednesday to participate in a trilateral summit with Cyprus and Greece. Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said the trilateral summit is meant to consolidate the special ties between the three countries and exchange viewpoints regarding challenges that face the East Mediterranean region. The 8th tripartite summit is held amid tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region over Ankara s hunt for gas in the region in violation of the territorial waters of Greece and Cyprus, two close allies of Egypt. Last week, Turkey said it will restart operations of a survey ship that it withdrew in September, further straining possibility of talks. The summit also aims at following up on the progress made by the previous seven trilateral summits and following up on joint projects implemented under the tripartite mechanism, Rady added. The previous summits, held since 2014, have mainly focused on bolstering joint cooperation in gas exploration and committing to maintaining the security and stability of the region, especially energy corridors. They also tackled cooperation to curb illegal migration. The summits culminated in the signing of several memorandums of understanding in the fields of investments, customs cooperation, education and small enterprises. Joint agreements were signed in tourism, maritime transport and fish farming. The tripartite summits led to the formation of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) in January 2019, establishing a vital platform that brings together gas producers, consumers and transit states to boost a sustainable regional market for gas. The forum’s members are Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, and Jordan. The signing of the EMGF’s charter between the energy ministers of the six countries last month came amid angry response from Turkey over Egypt and Greece signing a maritime demarcation deal in August establishing an exclusive economic zone between the two countries.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is attending the graduation ceremony of students from military colleges and institutes at the Military Academy in Cairo. Graduates from the Military Academy, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy, the Military Technical College, the Air Defence Academy, and the Technical Institute for Military Forces are taking part in the event. Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, former interim-president Adly Mansour, heads of main branches of the armed forces, as well as a number of ministers and state officials are attending the ceremony. During the ceremony, students of the military academies presented tactical drills to showcase their fighting skills. They also stood in a formation in the shape of the number 47, to mark the 47th anniversary of Egypt s victory against Israel in the 6 October war.

Egypt’s National Election Authority (NEA) has set 140 polling stations in the country’s embassies and consulates in 124 countries for voting by Egyptian expats in the parliamentary elections’s first phase slated for this week. Voters abroad will be able to print their ballot papers for the elections’ first phase on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the authority’s website. They will be allowed to vote on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, where they will select several candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district’s seats, and one for selecting from the closed list system. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents, and sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. The first stage of the elections will cover 14 governorates between 21 October and 30 November. These include Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, the Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira, and Marsa Matruh. A domestic vote will be held next Saturday and Sunday, with the results announced at the latest on 1 November. The first stage of elections’ run-offs will be held on 21-23 November for Egyptians abroad, and 23-24 November domestically with a final result at the latest on 30 November. A total of 568 seats are up for grabs in Egypt s upcoming parliamentary elections, while another 28 seats (5 per cent) will be named by the president, bringing the House s seats to a total of 596.

Following its election in August and September, Egypt s Senate will get down to business on Sunday by holding an opening procedural meeting. The meeting will be headed by Galal Haridi, a co-founder of the Guardians of the Nation Party, in his capacity as the Senate s most senior member. Two young members will also join Haridi in running the opening meeting. Haridi, 91, is a retired army officer who is widely considered as the founder of the Egyptian commandoes in 1955. He cofounded the Guardians of the Nation Party in 2013. The Senate s opening meeting will begin with reading out a number of decrees related to the formation of the second chamber. These will include president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi s two decrees on the Senate holding its opening meeting on 18 October and the naming of 100 appointees. The decrees issued by the National Elections Authority (NEA) on the invitation to and the results of the election of the Senate in August and September will be also read out. The above procedures will be followed by each of the chamber s 300 members taking the constitutional oath: "I swear by Almighty God that I do my best to preserve the republican system, respect the constitution and laws, fully observe the interests of the people, and preserve the independence, unity and integrity of the homeland." Members will then move to the next step, that is electing a speaker and two deputies in a secret ballot in line with article 4 of the Senate s law (141/2020). All members have the right to run for the three posts. Each hopeful candidate should take the floor and deliver a brief statement about his political background and experience and why he/she wishes to win the post. The Senate s opening meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Shura Council which was dissolved in 2013. Informed sources said the Mostaqbal Watan party, which holds the majority of seats in the Senate, is expected to nominate its head Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razek, a former chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court, as the speaker of the Senate. Mahmoud Ismail Othman, the Senate s acting secretary-general, told reporters that once a speaker and two deputies are elected, a committee will be formed to draft the chamber s internal bylaws. "But right now, the internal bylaws of the House of the Representatives (law 1/2016) will be used to regulate the performance of the Senate," said Othman, adding that "it is the internal bylaws which will determine how many committees will be affiliated with the Senate." Once elected, the Senate s Speaker address the chamber, then will give the floor to Alaa Fouad, minister of state for parliamentary affairs, to congratulate members and express the government s intent to fully cooperate with the Senate in legislative and supervisory terms. Leading members representing political parties and independents are also expected to take the floor to deliver statements on the roles of the Senate. Informed sources said once the procedural session is finished, the Senate will adjourn until a new House of Representatives is elected at the end of December. Othman also indicated that all anti-coronavirus protection measures such sanitizing the chamber will be taken. Othman revealed that the Senate s secretariat-general will have 523 staff members who will be in charge of running the daily affairs of the chamber. According to Egypt s amended constitution in 2019, a 300-seat Senate shall be elected, with 100 members to be elected via the individual candidacy system; another 100 through party lists; and the remaining 100 to be appointed by the president of the republic. The Senate s law states that the chamber s main job is purely advisory – that is proposing and studying all that can reinforce democracy, social peace, human rights and public freedoms. The Senate should be consulted on proposed amendments to the constitution, the state s five-year development plans, alliance and peace treaties and laws which form an integral part of the constitution. Statistics on the Senate s election show that the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan party got the majority, with 147 seats (74 per cent). Independents come next with 85 seats. The People s Republican party got 19 seats, followed by Al-Wafd (11 seats); the Guardians of the Nation (10 seats); the leftist El-Tagammu (4 seats) and Modern Egypt (4 seats). Three political parties - the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party, the Reform and Development Party, and the National Movement Party – got each three seats. The Salafist party of El-Nour got two seats. Five political parties – the Egyptian Freedom, Justice, the Republican, the Will of the Nation and Democratic Sadat – got each one seat. Statistics also show that the Senate comprises 40 women (20 by election and 20 by appointment) (13.3 per cent), six members representing professional syndicates and trade unions, two judges, two cinema actors, nine media people, 14 young people, 16 public figures, and twelve chairmen of political parties.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed on Wednesday the Egyptian constants regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), especially with regard to the resumption of tripartite negotiations to reach a binding and comprehensive legal agreement between all concerned parties regarding the rules for filling and operating the dam. El-Sisi s remarks came during a phone call he received from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the African Union (AU), according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency. Egypt s Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said that the phone call dealt with the developments of the hydropower project, in light of the current mediation of the AU to the tripartite negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. The last round of AU-brokered trilateral talks on the near-complete mega-dam concluded in August without reaching an integrated draft agreement on the operation and filling of the dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile. During that last round of talks, the three countries technical and legal committees were scheduled to come up with a unified draft of their three proposals for an agreement to be submitted to Ramaphosa. They failed to reach a consensus, however, and agreed instead to send individual letters to Ramaphosa expressing their visions for the next stage of talks. El-Sisi, during the call, expressed Egypt s rejection of any action or procedure that violates Egypt s rights in the Nile waters, the statement noted. Ramaphosa, from his side, voiced his aspiration for the continuation of intensive coordination between the two countries during the coming period so as to work on resolving the current situation, and to reach a fair and balanced agreement on such a vital issue. The GERD, built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan, has been a source of contention between the three countries since construction began in 2011. The first filling of the controversial dam took place this summer, despite not having reached an agreement with its downstream neighbours. Throughout the few previous rounds of talks, Addis Ababa had proposed a package of non-binding guidelines for the filling and operation of the mega-dam while the downstream countries Egypt and Sudan are seeking a legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam. Addressing the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly on 23 September, El-Sisi stressed that the GERD negotiation period "should not be extended indefinitely" in order to impose a status quo. The tripartite negotiations on GERD reached deadlock last year as did talks sponsored by the US and the World Bank in February. Cairo fears the massive hydropower project will significantly cut its crucial water supplies from the River Nile, while Sudan fears it could endanger the safety of its own dams. Ethiopia says the 6,000-megawatt dam is key to its development and hopes to become Africa’s biggest electricity exporter. The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on various regional issues related to the AU, Rady said.

Maintaining the current situation on the ground in Libya, as per the declared lines, is the main goal in pursuit of a comprehensive solution to restore stability in the oil-rich country, Egypt s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. El-Sisi said the desired solution should be based on the outcomes of the Berlin conference and the Cairo Declaration, an Egyptian peace initiative announced in June that proposed a ceasefire and the election of a leadership council. Libya, which has been divided between two rival administrations for six years, is currently witnessing a truce agreement between the warring parties after they declared a ceasefire. The declaration ended fears about possible aggression against the port city of Sirte, 370 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli and Jufra, which has a major military airbase. According to a statement released by the presidential spokesman Bassam Rady following the meeting, El-Sisi stressed the joint coordination, willpower, and unity of Arab stances would impose the outlines of the Arab national security. Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya and calling for a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of militias, and a halt to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth. In July, El-Sisi said Egypt “will not stand idle” in the face of any attack on Libya’s Sirte, which he earlier described as a “red line” for Egypt’s national security. During Tuesday s meeting, the two officials also assured the importance of intensifying the international efforts to settle the Palestinian crisis, drawing on international legitimacy decisions, Rady pointed out. The meeting, which was attended by the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, also dealt with bilateral relations between Egypt and Jordan, according to the statement. El-Sisi expressed hope for continuing coordination between the two countries at all levels amid the increased challenges the region is facing. Safadi expressed his country s keenness to continue coordination with Cairo at all levels in light of Egypt s role in the region, which he described as "significant and pivotal." The Jordanian minister arrived in Cairo earlier today to discuss several bilateral issues with a number of Egyptian officials, and to attend a trilateral meeting with his Egyptian and Iraqi counterparts to discuss topics of mutual concern.