World Tribune.com

Egypt cracks down on Muslim Brotherhood during vote

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, December 5, 2005

CAIRO — Egypt launched a massive crackdown on the Islamic opposition in an effort to prevent a victory in parliamentary elections.

In a two-day period, Egyptian security forces arrested nearly 700 members of the Muslim Brotherhood throughout Egypt last week. The crackdown included the detention of more than 70 Brotherhood leaders in the Dakahlia province alone.

On Thursday, Egypt held the third and last round of parliamentary elections amid reports of police interference and intimidation, Middle East Newsline reported. At that point, the Brotherhood had achieved unprecedented gains and was expected to win at least a quarter of the 444-member People's Assembly.

In the latest round, the Brotherhood has run candidates in 49 out of 136 contested seats. In the two previous rounds, the Brotherhood won 76 seats.

A Brotherhood statement said authorities have arrested nearly 1,700 supporters. The statement said the arrests were meant to stop the opposition from bringing voters to the polls.

European and other monitors have asserted that the elections were marred by government-inspired violence as well as massive vote-buying by the ruling National Democratic Party. A European Union delegation refused to continue to monitor the elections in wake of intimidation by government agents.

The United States has urged Egypt to end election violence. But the Bush administration has refrained from criticizing the regime of President Hosni Mubarak for its crackdown on the Brotherhood. Egypt receives the second largest amount of U.S. military aid and plans to purchase F-16 multi-role fighters and upgrade Apache attack helicopters.

Many Brotherhood members have accused Washington of protecting the Mubarak regime. But others said U.S. pressure on Egypt over the last year resulted in the most open election in decades.

"The seats we have gained are the natural result of the political ferment which has happened in Egypt and the foreign pressures," Abdul Moneim Abu Al Futouh, a Brotherhood representative told the Al Araby newspaper. "This has made the government, against its will, expand the scope of freedom and reduce the rigging."


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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