CAIRO: Egyptians are heading to the polls on November 28 to cast their ballots in the parliamentary elections, the government announced on Wednesday. The date was no surprise to most observers in the country. It comes as a number of opposition groups continue to push for a nationwide boycott of the poll, saying the government will not allow a “free and open” democratic challenge to the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), which currently holds the lion's share of seats. It will also be the first time that 64 seats of the 518-member Lower House of Parliament, or People's Assembly, will be contested only by women. Gameela Ismail, a top opposition figure in Egypt, told Bikya Masr recently that the women's only seats are an “attempt by the government to secure an even greater majority.” Despite the boycott calls by opposition leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winner and former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei and former Presidential candidate Ayman Nour, the country's top opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood, announced earlier in October that it would contest the election, hoping to increase its 88 seats in the chamber. The Brotherhood is officially banned in Egypt, but runs candidates as independents. In order for the group to field a candidate in next year's Presidential contest, they must achieve greater success this year. An independent candidate would be granted candidacy if they were able to garner enough votes in Parliament to run. Dozens of Egypt's top opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested in the past week. “We expected this and there is no doubt the government is trying to dissuade us from participating in the upcoming election,” said Mohamed Badr. International rights group Amnesty International issued a rare press statement on the situation of the Brotherhood members on Tuesday, demanding the Egyptian authorities release or charge the members with a recognizable crime. Since MB chairman Mohamed Badie announced publicly the groups decision to contest the election, more than 150 individuals from the group have been arrested. Around half of those detained have since been released. Among those remaining detained are Muslim Brotherhood election candidates and several regional leaders of the organization, including, Mohamed Sweidan of Baheira, whose detention was yesterday extended for 15 days Mustafa al-Khouli and Essam al-Gharbawi. “Those arrested appear to be detained solely on account of their association with the Muslim Brotherhood organization,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa. BM
