Egyptians are still waiting for final results of voting after a record turnout in parliamentary elections.

Preliminary results from the first round of voting suggest victories for Islamist parties.

Figures released Saturday indicate the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party came out on top in Monday and Tuesday's polling and the conservative al-Nour Salafi Islamist group appears to be in second place.

The man appointed by military rulers to lead a new cabinet, Kamal al-Ganzouri, was quoted late Saturday as saying he would delay announcing ministers until Wednesday because ballot counting is taking longer than expected.

Election commissioner Abdel-Mooaez Ibrahim has said there was a record voter turnout in the first round vote in one-third of the country's provinces. Voters in the remaining provinces will cast ballots in two stages that will take place in the coming weeks.

After Egyptians in the remaining provinces cast ballots for the lower house, voting for parliament's upper house will begin. The entire election process will not be over until March.

The balloting is Egypt's first voting since former President Hosni Mubarak resigned in February.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressed deep concern over the initial success of Islamist parties in the first round of voting in Egypt. Mr. Barak told Israeli television Saturday that although it is too early to predict how the changes will affect the region, he finds the trend “worrisome.”