Brotherhood Objects to Elections Postponement

The Muslim Brotherhood turned down a government bill concerning the deferment of municipal elections, scheduled for in April. Accordingly, the current municipal councils, dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party, will last for coming two years. The group labeled the bill an attempt of the NDP to retain its monopoly of putting up nominees for presidential elections. 
 
On Monday, the parliament saw furious discussions over the presidential decree concerning the draft law of prolonging the term of municipal councils for further two years. The bill is a ’backward step,’ the Muslim Brotherhood’s MPs remarked.  
 
’It is a NDP bid to keep on its monopoly of running for presidency,’ the Muslim Brotherhood’s deputy leader Muhammad Habeeb told Reuters. By this step, the NDP intends to gain time for its recovery, Habeeb added. The current structure of municipal councils empowers only the NDP to field candidates for presidency.   
 
On Sunday, Shorah Council, the Egyptian Lower House, in which the NDP holds majority, has approved the in-question bill. It is worth mentioning that Shorah Council enjoys no legislative powers. It is only a consultative body in which bills are discussed before being referred to the PA to be enacted. 
 
Observers see the government draft law is designated to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from making further inroads, following its recent remarkable rise along with the landslide victory of Palestinian Hamas that pushed the entire Islamist movement in the region.
 
In response, the Muslim Brotherhood’s legislatives proposed a counter motion for keeping councils in office for six months only till the parliament passes a new law for the municipal administration.
 
The Muslim Brotherhood’s web site said that the motion that lodged by eight Brotherhood’s MPs was approved by 20 of the 22-member Committee of Municipal Administration in the parliament. However, the committee chairman deferred the vote due to absence of quorum.