The widespread crackdown on the opposition Muslim Brotherhood as it attempts to campaign for upcoming parliamentary polls means there will be "no election" in Egypt, said one of the group's lawmakers on Monday. The country's largest and best organized opposition group said that in the weeks preceding the 28 November parliamentary election more than 1200 of its members and sympathizers have been arrested. "What is happening right now is the actual rigging of the vote," said Saad el-Katatni in a press conference at the group's parliamentary headquarters. "The regime is sending a message that there will be no election." Over the last few days, processions and campaign rallies for the group's candidates across the country have been disrupted by police. Despite calls from within the group to boycott the elections, el-Katatni said it would persevere with its campaigns and shame the regime. "This is a political and constitutional struggle and the street is with the Brotherhood and we will not let them down," he added. The Brotherhood came out of the 2005 elections with a fifth of the seats in parliament, the largest bloc for the opposition, but it is expected to fare much worse in next week's contests amid heavy government pressure. Egypt's parliamentary elections come amid widespread popular discontent over rising food prices.
