Egypt prepares for April elections by cracking down on Muslim Brotherhood
Thursday, February 21, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
CAIRO — Egypt has launched a major crackdown on the Islamic opposition in advance of municipal elections in April.
Opposition sources said scores of Muslim Brotherhood activists have been arrested as part of efforts by President Hosni Mubarak to prevent an Islamic victory in municipal elections on April 8, Middle East Newsline reported.
Under the Egyptian constitution, municipal councils could influence the race for presidency.
The Brotherhood, which controls at least 20 percent of the seats in parliament, said many of the detainees were either current or former candidates for municipal office. The Islamic opposition has not yet announced whether it will formally participate in the elections, postponed by the government since 2006.
More than 90 Islamic opposition members, reported to be civil servants, professors, physicians and teachers, were arrested in seven provinces, the Brotherhood said on Wednesday. Nearly 200 dissidents have been detained since Feb. 14. The Brotherhood identified the detainees on its official website, ikhwanonline.com.
Opposition sources said the Mubarak regime fears an independent presidential candidate that could challenge his son, Gamal. The sources said Mubarak plans to resign sometime in 2008 and would seek to ensure succession by his son.
In 2005, Egypt approved a constitutional amendment meant to limit the prospect of any independent candidacy for president. The amendment required a candidate to obtain endorsements from 65 elected members of the lower house of parliament, 25 elected members of the upper house and 140 members of local councils.
The Brotherhood controls more than 80 members of the lower parliament but does not have a seat in the upper parliament, or Shura Council. The sources said the Brotherhood could obtain the endorsement of 140 local councils unless the elections in April would be rigged.