CAIRO — The European Union has dismissed parliamentary elections in
Egypt as rigged and marked by massive intimidation of voters and opposition
activists.
A European Union Parliament delegation that monitored elections in Egypt
determined that the ruling National Democratic Party in cooperation with
police torpedoed voting. The four-member delegation said the NDP rigged and
bought votes as well as assaulted opposition activists.
[A European Parliament statement said the delegation decided to boycott
the second round of voting, which took place on Saturday, Middle East Newsline reported. The statement said
the delegation became the target of pro-government agents who sought to
block the parliamentarians from entering a polling station during the first
round of elections on Nov. 9.]
"We heard of vote-buying, a rigged register, the busing of voters and we
witnessed intimidation," British parliamentarian Edward McMillan-Scott, who
led the delegation, said. "The government party is clinging to power by a
variety of well-known tactics."
"The violent behavior by a crowd of thugs was clearly organized against
us and aimed to intimidate supporters of opposition candidates,"
McMillan-Scott, vice president of the EU parliament, said on Nov. 22.
McMillan-Scott said vote-buying was common during the elections. He also
reported ballot stuffing, inaccurate lists of registered voters and
intimidation. The parliamentarian said the delegation would issue a full
report.
Other monitoring groups reported similar violations during elections on
Nov. 9 and Nov. 26. The European delegation was not invited by the regime of
President Hosni Mubarak.
The Muslim Brotherhood was reported to have won 47 seats in the 444-seat
parliament. Egyptian authorities have arrested at least 800 Brotherhood
activists during the elections.
On Saturday, the Brotherhood said Egyptian police detained 680 Islamic
supporters -- many of them around Alexandria -- and prevented people from
voting during the second round of parliamentary elections. The Brotherhood,
as well as Egyptian election monitors, said government agents attacked
opposition activists near polling stations.
"When some of the judges protested and demanded that the centers be open
to the voters, they were insulted and humiliated by the police," Egyptian
election judge Hisham Bastawyel-Bastawy told the Qatari-based A-Jazeera
satellite television. "This is a grave development."
The last round of parliamentary elections has been scheduled for Dec. 1.
Runoffs would be held on Dec. 7.
The United States has welcomed parliamentary elections in Egypt. State
Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said the elections have been more
open than than those previously held in Egypt.
"We're seeing, again, Egyptians being presented with a real choice of
candidates for their legislature and the Egyptians exercising their
preferences in a democratic way," Ereli said. "And that's a good thing and I
think it's something we should all note and welcome. Obviously, there
remain concerns regarding violence and intimidation and harassment, but that
all comes in the context of a steadily improving democratic development in
Egypt."
