Egypt’s Interior Minister Vows to Bar MB Candidates From Running in Municipal Elections

Egypt’s Interior Minister Vows to Bar MB Candidates From Running in Municipal Elections

Egyptian Interior Minister, Habib Al-Adly, stated to the Middle East News Agency (MENA) yesterday that the government will continue its crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), and will keep on tracking its members and supporters in Egypt.
 
Adding that the government will not allow the Muslim Brotherhood to field candidates in the upcoming municipal elections or participate in it by any means.
 
His statements came after yesterday’s harsh crackdown against the MB members who demonstrated in more than ten governorates protesting the government’s refusal to implement hundreds of court decisions permitting the Muslim Brotherhood candidates to run in the upcoming municipal elections held on April 8th.
 
Security forces in yesterday’s demonstrations arrested a number of MB protestors, used rubber bullets, tear gas, and attacked many protestors as a part of the government’s crackdown against the MB.
 
On the other hand, Dr. Mohamed Habib, deputy chairman of the MB, commented on yesterday’s mass demonstrations saying that MB candidates are facing a regime represented in the ruling party which does not have any respect to constitution, law, or even courts.
 
Dr. Essam Al-Erian, senior MB leader, commented on the government’s continuous crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood saying that it is a clear violation to both law and constitution, adding that such acts are far away from any kind of political reform.
 
Adding in his statement to Ikhwanweb that depriving the Muslim Brotherhood of exercising their constitutional rights is an exclusion to all Egyptian citizens, not only to the MB, adding that the Muslim Brotherhood represent a large number of Egyptians and supported by more than 35% of the them, besides representing 20% of the Egyptian People’s Assembly.


Al-Erian believed that the Interior Minister’s statements are just a continuation of a chaotic and disastrous policy by the regime towards its political opponents. Adding that all political parties have police officers responsible for tracking each of them within the State Security authorities. 
 
Al-Erian denounced the interference by the Interior Ministery and the State Security Forces in the political process and the government’s reliance on them to settle political scores with its opponents, stating that these practices establish the government’s authoritarian nature and colloide with the Egyptian people aspirations for a free democratic society.


Arabic signs in the picture read ” No for rigging elections, No for restricting freedoms”, “Running for Municipalities, right of all Egyptians””