If the results of the Shura Council reveal anything, it is the determination of the ruling NDP and the Muslim Brotherhood to exchange accusations, reports Gamal Essam El-Din While the results of Tuesday's Shura Council mid-term elections were due to be announced on yesterday afternoon, few expect them to contain any surprises. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) is expected to sweep the poll, with press reports forecasting that out of 74 contested seats the NDP would secure at least 50. Add to this the 14 seats in which the NDP was standing uncontested and it will have won at least 64 of the 88 seats up for grabs in the consultative upper house. The NDP's list of winners is expected to include Minister of Waqfs (religious endowments) Hamdi Zaqzouq in the Nile-Delta governorate of Daqahliya; former president of Alexandria University Mohamed Abdallah and NDP Secretary for Youth Affairs Mohamed Heiba. Ahmed Ezz, NDP secretary for organisational affairs, told a press conference on Monday that as many as 20 NDP candidates are expected to face a run-off round scheduled next Tuesday. "Out of this figure," said Ezz, "17 NDP candidates face strong competition against members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood and three face competition from candidates from opposition parties." Ezz said he was happy Karam Bikheet, a Copt, was on top of the NDP's 14 official candidates who have won uncontested. "We fielded three Copts, in the governorates of Alexandria, Minya, and Assiut, and one woman in Kafr El-Sheikh," said Ezz. Accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of mixing religion with politics, he promised "the mistakes which allowed it to win 88 seats in the parliamentary elections of 2005 will never be repeated". The Brotherhood, Ezz continued, still insists on raising religious slogans in a bid to gain votes. "I think voters will no longer be deceived by these slogans and if we gain a big victory in the Shura polls, it will be a huge step in the run-up to parliamentary elections scheduled next October." Ezz denies that the NDP has relied on security forces to prevent Brotherhood candidates from winning seats. "The results of the election are not a foregone conclusion. The NDP believes in competition," he said. Despite a six-month security clampdown, the Brotherhood was determined to challenge the NDP at the polls. Senior Brotherhood member Essam El-Erian said it would be a positive step for the movement to win seats on the Shura Council though they were realistic about their chances. "We aim to penetrate the Shura Council because we think that participating in the election gives us added political legitimacy and prestige," El-Erian told Al-Ahram Weekly. The Brotherhood fielded 15 candidates, including several members of the People's Assembly: Ahmed Abu Barka in Menoufiya, Ali Fath El-Bab in Helwan, and Azab Mustafa in Giza. "These are People's Assembly deputies with a base of popular support and the skills necessary to easily win seats," said El-Erian. He predicted that three other Brotherhood candidates would win, in Alexandria's Montazah district, in the Kafr El-Sheikh district of Dessouq and in Mansoura. The Brotherhood has never held a seat on the Shura Council, which was created in 1980. In a press conference on Sunday the Brotherhood's supreme guide, Mohamed Badei, accused the NDP of using the security apparatus to help prevent its candidates from winning. "This is a grave violation of the law and the constitution. It shows the NDP is determined to rig the election," said Badei. "Police forces opened fire on Brotherhood campaigners and arrested tens of its supporters." While NDP leaders deny Brotherhood accusations, civil society and human rights organisations report that several Brotherhood supporters were detained and representatives of their candidates were not allowed to enter polling stations. Intessar Nessim, chairman of the Higher Electoral Commission (HEC), claims everything has been done to ensure that integrity is the hallmark of the vote. "The role of the security forces is to impose discipline and help citizens vote freely," said Nessim. "The HEC intervened to prevent one candidate from running after he was caught raising the slogan of 'Islam is the Solution'." Nessim told a press conference on 27 May that the total number of Shura Council candidates had fallen from 575 to 446. "They are competing for 74 seats in 55 districts, while 14 have won uncontested. Out of the total number of candidates, 115 are representatives of political parties. They include 76 belonging to the NDP, 10 to the Wafd Party, nine to the Tagammu Party, three to Al-Ahrar, two to Ghad Party, and 15 from eight smaller parties. In addition 255 candidates are running as independents." The majority of the latter are members of the NDP members who have decided to run independently. Nessim also said that 11 women had contested the election. The HEC has given permission to several civil society organisations to monitor the election. Al-Ahram analyst Amr Hashem Rabie expected that the turnout would not exceed three per cent in urban areas and five per cent in rural constituencies. "Most Egyptians are unaware of the role of the Shura Council," says Rabie. "Not to mention that the tragic news coming from the Gaza Strip has made the Shura elections seem very pallid." The Shura Council, established by president Anwar El-Sadat in 1980, is composed of 264 members. Following the run-off vote on 8 June, 44 members will be appointed by a presidential decree.
