Egypt’s election authority on January 10 announced the final results of a months-long parliamentary election, confirming an overwhelming victory for parties aligned with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, an outcome critics say underscores the tightly managed nature of electoral politics under military-backed rule, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
According to the official results, the pro-government coalition known as the National List for Egypt dominated the contest, particularly in races for individual candidates. Of the 596 seats in parliament, half were allocated through closed party lists and the remainder through individual contests, while five percent of lawmakers are appointed directly by the president. A quarter of all seats are constitutionally reserved for women.
The election body said that the three largest parties within the ruling coalition secured 164 of the individual seats. Most of the remaining seats went to smaller parties and independents widely viewed as sympathetic to the government. The coalition is led by the pro Sisi Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future) party and the National Front party, headed by former minister Essam al Gazzar.
The vote was not without controversy. Results in more than 30 constituencies were annulled in November and December following appeals over ballot counting, prompting court-ordered re-runs. Still, the reruns did little to alter the overall balance of power.
Analysts say the election carries particular significance as it will be the last parliamentary vote before Sisi’s third and constitutionally final term ends in 2030. Amendments passed in 2019 extended presidential terms from four to six years and retroactively reset Sisi’s tenure, allowing him to remain in office for nearly two decades.
Human rights groups and opposition figures argue that parliament functions largely as a rubber stamp, with meaningful dissent all but eliminated. Despite the launch of a “national dialogue” in 2022, intended to signal political openness, watchdogs say repression has intensified. Tens of thousands of political prisoners are believed to remain incarcerated.
The outcome echoes a familiar pattern seen in other military dominated states from Myanmar to Pakistan where elections proceed, but power remains firmly consolidated. In Egypt, the vote has once again raised questions about whether the mechanics of democracy can survive without its substance.
