Egypt: More than 100 women to contest parliamentary polls

Egypt: More than 100 women to contest parliamentary polls

 Over 100 women are vying for seats in the Egyptian parliamentary elections slated for November 28. According to the state-run High Elections Commission of the 5,720 candidates competing for seats 132 are women, more than 10 are affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Competition was fierce during application especially for political opposition and Muslim Brotherhood members were harassed most by the authorities during the election preparations.
The group had announced it  would challenge about 30 percent of the seats with independent candidates and since its announcement on October 9, the group’s members and supporters have been facing much animosity as security forces to date have unjustly arrested close to 400 of its members and attacked privately owned MB businesses.
The group which had initially contemplated boycotting decided to participate in the elections underscoring that the best way to challenge the system was from within.

During the 2005 elections the MB had acquired 88 seats and surprised the ruling NDP which has vowed since there would be no repeat of the MB’s success.
Observers maintain that the ruling National Democratic Party is hoping for a sweeping victory in the poll since it is believed it will boost chances for the presidential elections in 2011. It is expected that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will run for a sixth term in office.