Over the last few months, Egyptian have taken to the polls for their first opportunity to vote in the new government system. Jan. 3 marked the final round of voting for the lower house of Parliament. Voting took place in nine provinces including the Nile Delta. The results won’t be known until Jan. 13, but many expect Islamists to dominate. While the voting process has been largely peaceful and included high participation (almost 62%), there are some questions about the military giving up control following the elections. One recent cause for alarm was a raiding of NGO in Cairo, some of these groups were US-funded and seeking to promote democracy in Egypt. According to the interim government this raid was part of an investigation into illegal funding of political parties. The actions were condemned by the UN. (BBC)
How does this election process compare and contrast with the US system?
What role might foreign interests play into these elections?
