The 3rd Round Witnessed Government Changing Approach

The 3rd Round Witnessed Government Changing Approach
 
By Muhammad Abdel Moaz
 
The government assumed its usual strong-arm tactics in order to clamp down on opposition and Muslim Brotherhood in particular. For the Brotherhood’s major wins in the first two rounds of vote posed insupportable threat on the government.
 
Therefore, the third stage witnessed increasingly troubled vote stimulated by the government coercive measures. The villages and polling centers which are known for their support for the opposition and the Brothers were completely blocked, MB supporters are vastly detained. non NDP voters are bodely attacked and intimidated…..
 
In Kafr el-Sheikh province, for instance, severe clashes were erupted between barred voters and policemen resulting in the death of a supporter of the opposing Nasserian Party. Furthermore, security forced used tear gas canisters and smoking bombs. Therefore, ten houses in Bella village were set on fire as a result. In Bandar Kafer el-Sheikh, polling centers, with 42.000 eligible votes, were fully enclosed off. Voters who dared to approach them were detained or abducted.
 
The same situation applied to Dametta, Sohag, and Northern Sinai governorates. In Dametta, Daqhla village, the home village of the Brotherhood’s candidate, Muhammad el-Falahgy, was sealed off. The same scene recurred in Dametta and Farsqo constituencies, where the chairman of Nasserian Party and Brotherhood’s nominee were running.
 
Other government tactic, that is the use of thuggery, was applied to el-Sharqia and el-Daqhlia provinces to terrorize the turnout. An enraged voter complained a thug to a policeman who coldly answered ’ do not approach the poling station to save yourself.’
 
These serious developments of the government approach emerged from its failure to:
–         Achieve majority to its ruling party within fair polling process.
–         Curb additional gains for the opposition, Brothers in particular, after having got 76 seats in the first two stages.
–         Decrease the soaring popularity of the Moslem Brotherhood via the use of media.