MENOUFIA, Nov. 18 (Aswat Masriya) – Former members of the now defunct National Democratic Party (NDP) and heads of political parties are leading a fierce competition over parliamentary seats in a Menufiya, the birthplace of two former presidents who ruled Egypt for some 40 years.

Twenty parliamentary seats are up for grabs under the individual seat system over which 225 candidates will be competing, while three lists are vying for the remaining five seats. Menoufiya's 2.3 million eligible voters are just over half of the province's population.

Menoufia goes to the polls in the second phase of house elections scheduled for Nov. 21-23 inside Egypt and abroad, with notable party participation, most prominently al-Nour Salafi party, the pro-Sisi youth The Nation’s Future Party, the liberal Free Egyptians Party, the leftist Tagamou Party and the National Movement Party.

Only nine women have joined the battle for individual seats, competing with other men and with other women, while former NDP members are mainly concentrated in constituencies with a large voter base, where they are more likely to make gains. 

Candidates began campaigning last May before the official candidacy announcement, hanging banners across the province in a clear violation of regulations set by the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) which didn’t take any action against them.

According to Tarek al-Haddad, head of the Egyptian Human Rights Association in Menoufia, the association had proposed the formation of a committee including members of SEC to monitor the violations committed by candidates, but SEC never responded to the proposal.

Vote-buying took several forms in Menoufia, including the distriubtion of meat in al-Adha feast last September, said Haddad.

Some 12 candidates also used campaign material inside public schools and government institutions in addition to giving out pamphlets, pens emblazoned with their pictures and names, clearly breaching SEC regulations.