Protests, clashes mark Egyptian polls

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Mohammad Nasim speaking at the discussion. — Banglar Chokh Photo

CAIRO, Nov 28 (AFP): Slow voting and isolated protests and clashes marked the start Sunday of Egypt's parliamentary vote, which is expected to strengthen the ruling party and further weaken its harried Islamist opposition. Independent candidate's son stabbed to death in the vote
Security was beefed up in some areas after activists Friday clashed with police at the end of a campaign overshadowed by violence and the arrests of more than 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
Initial indications showed a low turnout in the country of 80 million people, where polls are traditionally eyed with suspicion and where past elections have been marked by deadly clashes between police and protesters and battles between knife-wielding thugs hired by rival candidates.
In Cairo's Shubra el-Khaima district, which is represented by prominent Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed el-Beltagi, several dozen people were milling around outside the polling station waiting to be allowed to vote.
"I'm here to vote for someone who represents our interests," said Rasmiya Abdel Hadi, 50. "Beltagi gives people free treatment at the health clinic."
But at other polling stations in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt's second city, very few voters turned up in the first few hours.
In Suez, witnesses said hundreds of supporters of Brotherhood and other opposition candidates demonstrated outside police headquarters to protest at not being allowed to enter the polling station.
Police, meanwhile, said they used teargas to disperse clashes between supporters of rival candidates outside polling stations in Qena, about 475 kilometres (300 miles) south of Cairo.
In Gharbiya in the Nile Delta, police used tear gas to disperse supporters of independent candidates after their delegates were prevented from entering polling centres to monitor voting, witnesses said.