Polls open in 2nd round of Egypt parliament vote

CAIRO: Polling stations opened on Wednesday for the second round of an Egyptian parliamentary election looking to cement gains achieved in the first stage of voting last month.

Egyptians are choosing their first freely elected parliament in six decades after a popular uprising ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Staggered voting for the assembly's two chambers will be completed in mid-March.

The vote under way for the lower house is the first step in a planned transition from military rule to civilian government.

Campaigning last month was marred by violent street protests against army rule that left 42 people dead, but voting in the first round was mostly peaceful.