Egypt is set to brace for a new political landscape as Islamist parties swept around 70 percent of the seats of the People's Assembly (the lower house of parliament), in the first legislative polls after the fall of ex-President Hosni Mubarak last February.

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the moderate Muslim Brotherhood (MB) won 235 seats and the ultra- conservative Nour Party grabbed 125 seats, senior officials of the top two parties told Xinhua on Saturday. The High Judicial Elections Commission announced on Saturday the results for party lists, but did not give the total seats that each party won.

REFLECTION OF PEOPLE'S WILL

The People's Assembly elections were regarded as the most free and fair over the past three decades in Egypt. Despite some irregularities, the whole voting process won acclaims from main political powers, citizens and international community.

The Muslim Brotherhood established the FJP last June. Founded in 1928, the Islamist group was officially banned in 1954. With Mubarak's fall, it became Egypt's strongest and most experienced political player.

The FJP's victory was within expectations. However, the ultra- conservative, Salafist Nour Party, became the No. 2 party in the new parliament. The Salafists, who call for strict implementation of Islamic law, distanced themselves from politics during Mubarak' s era. But they became active to found parties after the political turmoil and formed an alliance led by the Nour Party to run in the elections.

The Salafist parties used the mosques to promote themselves among illiterates and marginalized groups, those who are easily influenced by religious slogans, analysts said. Youth groups only garnered few seats due to empty slogans and lack of experience.

CHALLENGES FOR NEW PARLIAMENT

The political rise of Islamists has raised fears about whether Egypt will go towards an Islamic country. The MB has portrayed itself as moderate. There are differences between the FJP and the Nour Party. The FJP says Egypt will be a civic country, compared with a theocratic regime. The Nour Party supports a distinctive model of modern Islamic country, different from Iran or Saudi Arabia.

Egypt will be a "civic country with an Islamic flavor", said Abdel Said Aly, president of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

According to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the presidential polls will be held in mid-June, after which the fate of the caretaker government will be decided by the new president and parliament.

The new parliament will be responsible for choosing a 100- member committee to draft a constitution. Main points under debate are the identity of the country, power of president and supervision of military budget.

Both the FJP and the Nour Party call for containing presidential powers. The FJP insists a mixed model between the parliamentary and presidential systems is the best for the current transition stage. But a parliamentary system will be needed in the end.

Noha Bakr, political science professor at American University in Cairo, told Xinhua there would be a check and balance between the parliament and president to avoid the latter's absolute power.

Moderate, ultraconservative and liberal parties comprise the new parliament. Differences emerge on the solutions to different issues.

"There will be tensions and disputes on the minor details because of differences in the approach and trends of the Islamists and liberals," said Hany Raslan, an expert at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic studies.

The elections did not mean a smooth road of transition. Dozens of political groups began protests on Friday to commemorate the Jan. 25 demonstrations last year and urged a swift transfer of power. Mohamed Badie, head of the MB, reportedly said the military budget should be put under the supervision of lawmakers.

The relations between the military, parliament and president will be more subtle in the future, analysts predict.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Egypt is one of the only two Arab countries to have diplomatic ties with Israel. The relations between the two countries have witnessed disturbances since the fall of Mubarak. Israel worries about the ties as Islamic parties dominate Egypt's political arena.

Both the FJP and Nour Party stress they respect the peace treaty. But senior members of the two parties said if the people want, a referendum could be held to decide the fate of the treaty.

Aly said the Egypt-Israeli relations would not worsen dramatically in the future.

The two sides continue to keep contact as Egypt successfully mediated the prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel last year, he said.

As to Egypt-U.S. relations, the U.S. regards Egypt the most important partner in the region and stresses the importance of boosting bilateral relations. The FJP and the Nour said the relations were important but should be balanced.

Egypt saw a flurry of senior U.S. officials earlier this month. The U.S. officials met MB and FJP leaders to know their plans for the country.

"The U.S. and the MB will seek a win-win future," said Bakr.

Analysts say time is needed to test the abilities and work of the Islamic parties. "The Islamists know that the Tahrir Square is still there for protestors, who will rise again if they feel they choose irresponsible officials," said Sayed Lawendy, an Egyptian political analyst.