The turnout on the first day of the re-elections of the first stage of parliamentary polls in Damanhour reached 12 percent, media spokesman of Beheira governorate Wahdan el Sayed said.

The number of voters who are eligible to cast their ballots in Damanhour is estimated at 551,752, he said in statements Monday.

The re-elections were ordered due to the presence of a disqualified candidate among the contenders.

The first stage covered Giza, Fayyoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira and Matrouh.

Egypt's parliament — the House of Representatives — ‎will comprise 596 members, 448 elected as independents ‎and 120 from party-based lists. The remaining 28 seats ‎will be filled by presidential appointees.

The country has been without a parliament since the previous one, elected in late 2011, was dissolved in June 2012 after a court ruled electoral laws in place to be unconstitutional.

Sources: MENA