Results from the first round of voting in Egypt's election confirm that the Muslim Brotherhood is on course to become the largest single party in parliament.
Official results are not due until Thursday, but the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said it had won 36 of the 56 seats awarded to individual candidates.
Voting in the remaining two-thirds of electoral districts is scheduled to take place later this month and in January 2012.
Twenty-four seats were contested by the FJP and the Salafist al-Nour Party, which came second.
The BBC reports that many supporters of liberal and secular parties are concerned that Islamist parties will have too much power in the next parliament.
Parliament must select a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution that will be put to a referendum before a presidential election in June.
