Muslim Brotherhood Makes Presence Felt in Egyptian Elections

Egypt Elects New Parliament

VoA News: Voters in Egypt go to the polls Sunday in parliamentary elections, as complaints of election violations and harassment from opposition and rights groups are mounting.

The Muslim Brotherhood opposition group said Saturday 12 of its supporters were sentenced to two years in prison for unlawful campaigning, in the latest in a series of crackdowns on the banned group that runs its candidates as independents.

Egyptian law prohibits religious parties but candidates who were backed by the Muslim Brotherhood now control one-fifth of the lower house of parliament. The opposition group is backing 130 candidates in Sunday’s polling.

The government, which insists the elections will be free and fair, has deployed thousands of police across Egypt ahead of the vote and has barred international observers as an infringement of its sovereignty.

Egypt’s official MENA news agency says as many as 76 civil organizations will be observing the elections. The rights groups have criticized Egypt for its rejection of international election monitors.

However, MENA said Saturday that the voting at more than 200 main polling stations and thousands nationwide will be under the supervision of almost 2,300 judges. The news agency also said 267-thousand civil servants will monitor the process.