Muslim Brotherhood to run in poll

Egypt's banned opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is expected to stand in a third of the seats in next month's parliamentary elections. The group won 20 per cent of the seats in parliament in 2005, but this time round MB said it would contest 169 of more than 500 seats available.

The group's success in the 2005 elections surprised the Egyptian government and it has since paid greater attention to the group's activities, aiming to curtail them by arresting some of the group's key figureheads. MB's leader Mohammed Badie said he wanted to encourage a more open and fair vote and added that if rigged it would cast a shadow over the 2011 presidential elections.

"We ask all Egyptians to stand firm against any attempt to rig the elections and we call on the government to ensure a fair election," said Badie.

It is yet unclear whether President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for 30 years, will stand for a sixth term in office. Former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, has worked with MB to achieve electoral reform and has argued that boycotting parliamentary elections would deny the government its power. However, a spokesperson for MB has said that the group believes that standing would provide a chance for a fairer Egypt.

Source: BBC News

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Ghad to join ElBaradei in boycotting parliamentary elections

Egypt's opposition party, Ghad, has said that it will join Mohamed ElBaradei in boycotting the parliamentary elections. Last week, ElBaradei urged the nation to boycott the elections, saying that they would be rigged by the government and anyone who took part would be, “going against national will”.

"We respect the opinion of ElBaradei in the boycott. This man is a great weight in the process of change, and we respect him,” said Ghad chairman Ayman Nour.

The Ghad party voted against participation in the parliamentary elections and were joined by both Egypt's Kefaya movement and the communist party, in hope that united opposition would deny legitimacy to the ruling party.

Nour ran against President Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential elections, coming in a close second. He was jailed soon after the elections for allegedly submitting forged documents when setting up Ghad.

According to Ghad co-founder Wael Nawara, the party will aim to “lay down new rules” and “work to create a new parliament and a new constitution.”

Rights groups have expressed concern that the parliamentary elections, due to take place in November, will be rigged after an upper house vote, in June, saw the ruling party win most seats.

Source: Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Mohamed ElBaradei urges Egypt to boycott election

Former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, has urged Egyptians to boycott November's parliamentary election, saying it is certain to be rigged by the government. ElBaradei explained that taking part in the election would go against "the national will" to transform Egypt into a democracy.

ElBaradei has not yet said whether he will run for president in 2011. And it is still unclear who will succeed President Mubarak, nor whether Mubarak will seek re-election, but speculation has been mounting and many believe that he will try to install his son, Gamal, in the role if he decides to retire.

Shorty after his return to Egypt, in February, ElBaradei's National Coalition for Change launched a petition calling for constitutional changes and guarantees of free elections. The petition lists seven demands including allowing independents to run for president, and the lifting of the emergency laws that have been in place since 1981.

"We have gathered nearly a million signatures in six months and we can reach up to two to three million more by the end of this year," said ElBaradei on Monday.

In talking about the government ElBaradei said that the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has failed Egypt, and is responsible for rising poverty and illiteracy, and the disregard of human rights.

"When I look at the temple they built, I see a decaying temple, nearly collapsing. It will fall sooner rather than later. I will never enter this temple. What we call for is to bring down this temple in a peaceful civilised manner. If the whole population boycotts the elections totally, it will be in my view the end of the regime," concluded ElBaradei.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.