Egypt Latest: The Second Round of Parliamentary Elections

1940 GMT: Election monitors have said turnout was as low as 5% in some districts. The head of the High Elections Commission operations room, Ahmed Shawqi, said just before polls closed that the turnout was “very low”, blaming it on the withdrawal of the Muslim Brotherhood and Wafd Party from the run-offs.

1655 GMT. Residents of Daqahliya's Sandeela district have stormed a local polling station to protest alleged vote-rigging in favor of the two National Democratic Party candidates Noshi al-Basandeeli.

The crowd smashed 17 ballot boxes, tearing up votes and throwing them into the street.

Voting at the polling station was suspended.

1600 GMT: Statement of the Day. Al Jazeera's Ayman Moyheldin reports this comment from the ruling NDP's Atef Masoud: the elections were the will of "the Egyptian people [who] don't want opposition in Parliament".

1425 GMT: Reports continue of fights between rival groups and even groups within the same party. In one incident, the nephew of an NDP candidate in Beni Abeed was injured by knife-wielding supporters of another NDP candidate running for the same seat.

1300 GMT: There are accusations of NDP vote-buying in the Gomrok constituency, with the Muslim Brotherhood mobilising in support of independent businessman Ashraf Abu Ashraf.

There are reports of injuries from clashes in Qena and Gharbeia.

About 50 activists are demonstrating peacefully in front of the Press Syndicate against vote-rigging.

1230 GMT: Judges Walid El-Shafei, Ayman El-Wardany and Gamal Abd El-Nasser have written to the Higher Elections Committee to withdraw from supervision of the runoffs.

El-Shafei said that he had faced severe assaults from security police as he was supervising the process in Badrashin.

1210 GMT: In the Haram district, one NDP candidate Ahmed Sabry has withdrawn, claiming vote-rigging in favour of the other NDP candidate Abdel Nasser El-Gabry.

Residents of El-Saff constutuency in Helwan have surrounded a primary school after they were refused entry into the polling station.

1205 GMT: Al Masry Al Youm reports voter turnout is poor so far.

1155 GMT: The Supreme Administrative Court has ordered a halt to run-offs in Matareyya in Cairo. NDP candidates were facing Wafd and independent opponents in the two contests.

Representatives of independent candidate Mohamed Abdel Alim Dawood claim they have been denied access to the polling station in the Fawa/Metoubas district in Kafr al-Sheikh Governorate.

The Administrative Court had previously ordered the district’s elections halted due to other violations.

The independent candidate Ahmed Shaarawy has withdrawn from the race in the Mahalla al-Kobra of Gharbiya after security authorities prevented his representatives from reaching polling stations.

1150 GMT: Ahram Online reports that the Christian Coptic community will be almost absent from the new Parliament. In a best-case scenario, the Copts will have five of 508 seats: three won last week and two are in runoffs today.

According to official figures, between 6% and 10% of Egypt's 80 million people are Copts.

1140 GMT: An interesting twist on charges of vote manipulation: a candidate for the dominant National Democratic Party candidate, Abdel-Fatah Diab, has withdrawn from the run-off in Dakahleya’s Aga constituency. He claims ballot-rigging in favour of leftist Tagammu candidate Raafat Seif.

On Saturday, General Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud on Saturday referred an NDP winner in last week's election to criminal court for insulting judge Walid al-Shafey.

Al-Shafey publicly claimed 2010 parliamentary elections were flawed, but the NDP's Mo’mena Kamel described the judge as “an insane and retarded liar".

1130 GMT: Run-off elections for 283 of the 508 contested Parliamentary seats are underway in Egypt.

In last week's first round, amidst allegations of intimidation and vote manipulation, the ruling National Democratic Party won 209 seats. Opposition parties and independents won only 12 with the Muslim Brotherhood --- currently the largest opposition bloc with 88 seats --- failing to get a single victory.

The NDP has 386 candidates standing today (the party allowed itself to nominate more than one member for many seats). The Muslim Brotherhood (26 candidates today) and Wafd Party (9) have said they are withdrawing, although at least five Wafd candidates are reportedly defying their Party's decision.

As Ahram Online summarises, "Even before Egyptian voters start heading to polling stations, the NDP is all but assured for a 97% majority in the next parliament."

Last week's turnout was officially declared at 35% of Egypt's 41 million eligible voters.