Egypt: The presidential elections will likewise be an irrelevance

The parliamentary elections are over. We shall see in the next few days how Egypt's rulers digest the results. President Hosni Mubarak is due to make one of those key speeches that will indicate what changes he will make. Given his record, these will be changes in personnel rather than in direction.

Constitutionally, the elections also pre-qualify parties now able to put forward candidates for the presidential elections due next year. Article 76 of the constitution stipulates that only parties with representatives in parliament or the Shura Council may submit candidates for the presidency. The opposition parties won barely a handful of seats between them but one seat is enough. As a result, eight parties will be able to nominate presidential candidates.

Besides the National Democratic Party (NDP), they are the liberal Wafd Party, the leftist Tagammu Party, and the smaller Ghad, Geel, Nasserist, Al-Salam and Social Justice parties. The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is not a party so cannot field a candidate. Two individuals often thought to be hopefuls — Mohamed El Baradei and Omar Suleiman — are in theory barred because they are not members of such parties.

What the parliamentary elections have shown, however, is that the Egyptian authorities have scant regard for legal niceties in the determination of who should be their rulers. The elections were marred by widespread fraud, despite the denials of leading party leaders. The presidential elections will likewise be an irrelevance. The system in Egypt will throw up the person who will succeed President Mubarak at the appropriate time. The people will not have a say. It was ever thus.

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

© 2010 Menas Associates

Egypt: MB to quit election

Egypt's main opposition party the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) says it is withdrawing its candidates from the election run-off, which will take place on Sunday 5th December. The group, who is banned from the election process but runs candidates as independents, failed to secure a single seat in Sunday's first round.

The group says the election was rigged in favour of President Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) who won almost all the seats in the first round. A press release by the group said the election process was “scandalous" and marred by corruption and violence. MB's decision to quit the elections is expected to be confirmed by the group's leader Mohammed Badie.

Despite speculation to the contrary, Egyptian government has insists that the first round of votes was fair. The country's media has been instrumental in trying to discredit the government by running reports and testimonials of mass faked ballots and voters being intimidated at polling stations by security forces. Protests by opposition supporters have since erupted across the country.

The second round of voting is scheduled to go ahead on Sunday. Experts say that the turn out will most likely be in the 10-15 per cent region, the same as in the first round.

Source: BBC News

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

Egyptian parliamentary election marred by violence and fears of corruption

The Egyptian parliamentary election took place amid clashes between the opposition and the security forces. There have also been unconfirmed reports of violence outside the capital involving the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) supporters and the main opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

MB supporters said they were prevented from voting, accusing the Egyptian government of corruption and rigging. "There's no voting going on, just rigging. It's a disgrace," said one voter.

Protests have continued during the night over the conduct of Sunday's Egyptian parliamentary elections, which the opposition claimed were marred by fraud. Backers of the MB gathered outside polling stations in Alexandria, an MB stronghold, where most of the stand-offs between the MB supporters and backers of the NDP occurred.

Many of the 42 million voters, eligible to cast their ballots, stayed at home fearing Election Day violence. Early inductions suggest that President Hosni Mubarak's NDP party may win an unfeasibly large victory, further fuelling speculation over the integrity of these elections.

In 2005, the MB won about a fifth of the seats, standing as independent candidates. Critics of the Egyptian government are wondering whether the officially banned MB will retain its position as the biggest opposition group.

Source: BBC News

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