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Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Party Wins Sweeping Victory in Parliamentary Election


Boys stand near campaign posters of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party outside a polling station during the second day of parliamentary elections in the village of Kafr el-Moseilha, the hometown of former president Hosni Mubarak, December
Boys stand near campaign posters of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party outside a polling station during the second day of parliamentary elections in the village of Kafr el-Moseilha, the hometown of former president Hosni Mubarak, December

The party of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has won a sweeping victory in the country's parliamentary election, taking 47 percent of the seats in the new assembly.

The head of Egypt's election commission, Abdel Moez Ibrahim, announced the final results on Saturday.

The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) won 235 of the 498 seats in the People's Assembly, including a 108 in the first-past-the-post constituency votes.

Two-thirds of the seats in the new lower house are allocated to registered parties, with the remainder won by individual candidates. The ruling military council will appoint 10 other members.

The hardline Islamist Al-Nur party is the assembly's second largest bloc, with 29 percent of the seats won on party lists. The liberal Wafd party came in third and the Egyptian Bloc coalition came in fourth.

Banned under former President Hosni Mubarak, the Brotherhood will now play a major role in drafting the country's new constitution.

Elections for parliament's upper house are set for February. The two-chambers will then choose a 100-member body to write a new constitution. A new president is expected to be elected by June.

The elections were the first since the overthrow of Mubarak last February. The complex election system was carried out in three rounds of voting that began in November and wrapped up earlier this month.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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