IHT/DSE: Muslim Brotherhood to run in Shura Council Elections

By Pakinam Amer
First Published: July 8, 2006

Group accuses government of obeying U.S. commands

CAIRO: One of Egypt’s principal opposition groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, announced Thursday their intention to run in the coming elections for the Shura Council (lower house of parliament) in April.
“We have a principal. It is that we would run for all elections, on every level, including the upcoming Shura Council elections,” Mohammad Mahdi Akef, the group’s supreme guide, told the press on Thursday. “We will not be distracted by the expected retort from Egypt’s security.”
In his statement, Akef harshly criticized the government’s behavior during past local elections, saying that it only refrains from its “brutal activities” and its security when the United States demands it and “later unleashes security forces in order to throttle the people, also upon a signal … a green light from the United States.” Akef added that Egypt’s attitude toward the Islamic group (especially during elections) is often hailed by the United States.
The controversial Islamic group is recovering from what they have called “harassment” and “targeting of Brotherhood supporters” recently in Alexandria’s chamber of commerce elections, where the Brotherhood also ran candidates. During voting, the Brotherhood claimed that their supporters were pushed away from polling stations and that more than a hundred of their cadres were beaten and arrested.
The Brotherhood’s experience in the last upper house of parliament elections was also marred by violence, when dozens of their supporters were rounded up. Clashes between Muslim Brotherhood members and National Democratic Party “thugs” were a regular scene at major polling stations. Accusations of vote rigging were exchanged between the two parties.
Nevertheless, the group (who were only allowed to run as independents) managed to win 88 seats out of the parliament’s 454 seats, making them the largest opposition bloc in the house and reflecting their popularity among the grassroots.

Link: http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=2182