DOMESTIC POLITICS
Interpreting
the results… again
Heading into Saturday’s run-offs in the second stage of the 2005 parliemantary elections, most political chatter is about the increasing gains being made by the Muslim Brotherhood. The group’s spokesman Issam al-Aryan told AFP his movement “had won at least 13 seats in the second phase of the elections, without runoffs needed, bringing their seat tally to 47, trebling their 2000 score even before the elections’ third and final stage.” One interpretation for this sudden turn of events, was proffered by Negad el-Borai, a human rights advocate and elections’ monitor, to AP: “The people are saying we hate the ruling party, we hate the government and we will get anybody to rule us except you.” In any case, the vote was marred by violence (see earlier links below), and the United States expressed “real concern“, and said it expected the Cairo government to ensure a vote free of intimidation. According to the NY Times: “The violence was seen as a government effort to create chaos to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from making further gains in the second round of three-stage parliamentary elections.”
Elections everywhere
On TV all afternoon Sunday, in conversations around town… there’s more interest than usual in the parliamentary goings-on… Here’s AP’s election sum-up… and a Yahoo slide-show of election day scenes… (Earlier reports below…)
2nd round of parliamentary elections..
With 1,706 candidates competing in 72 constituencies in 9 provinces … AP reports initial complaints of irregularities… Unknown thuggery and fires in Alexandria… (More.., a little more..) Meanwhile, police detained more than 80 supporters of an Islamist candidate… This report says 200… (More…)
1st stage election results..
“Egypt’s ruling party won 112 seats in the first stage of the country’s parliamentary elections, or about 70 percent of those available… The Muslim Brotherhood doubled their parliamentary seats in the elections’ first round alone, bringing concerns of what parliamentary debates will be like, and whether or not the government will crack down on the group in the next 2 rounds… Slightly differing takes on the issue from AP, AFP, Reuters and BBC…
Newsweek looks at post election Ayman Nour…Meanwhile, journalists were reportedly harassed during the parliamentary elections… Probably a good thing, then, that the US ambassador — according to Khaleej Times — went undercover to monitor the elections in Zamalek…CS Monitor looks at the attack on a Jazeera journalist and other violations against the press during the heady election season… Several violations were observed during the first phase of Egypt’s parliamentary elections, the vice president of the European Union Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, said.“The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies monitored state controlled media during the election campaign. The result surprised even the monitors: Broadcasters and newspapers dedicated between 58 and 95 percent of their election coverage to the ruling National Democratic Party… Post editorial takes Mubarak to task for not keeping promises, says US should nurture pro democracy movement and not regime…Most NDP stalwarts retained their seats… The Nov. 9 results in the electoral districts of Waily, Boulak el-Dakrour and Manshiat al-Qanater were invalid and the polls should be repeated, the court ruled… Workers doubtful of election jobs pledges…Reuters looks at a few Gamal scenarios… Judges report on presidential elections comes out… VOA looks at young people’s participation in politics |
