ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (AP) – Riding through neighborhoods waving to constituents and glad-handing supporters, three Egyptian women candidates work the campaign trail.
The trio represents three major groups running in the country’s parliamentary election, with voting in Egypt starting Sunday. It’s Egypt’s first parliamentary election since the military-led ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.
Independent candidate 40-year-old Asmaa Ahmed Abdel Hakeem is a manager of a family-owned school. It’s her first time running in an election and she says her family has been supportive.
Independent candidates will take up 448 seats, or 75 percent of the seats. Party lists will make up 120 seats, or 20 percent of the parliament.
As required by law for all party lists, the ultraconservative Salafi Al-Nour party has seven women on each of its two party lists of 15 candidates. Among them is Hanan Allam, a 45-year-old pediatrician and head of the party’s women’s committee.