CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood warned of mass protests and “new martyrs” if parliamentary elections are postponed. Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) claimed that they would announce a date for parliamentary elections by the end of September. However, the Brotherhood is angry that SCAF is not doing enough to prepare for elections. “In the Brotherhood we were raised on the idea of martyrdom and we are more than happy to offer new martyrs and begin new protests and strikes in Tahrir Square if the will of the people is denied,” said Brotherhood leader Hasan el-Brence at a rally in Alexandria Tuesday, Al-Ahram reported. Muslim Brotherhood officials believe that they will have a better chance of winning if elections are held sooner. “It is imperative that elections run as planned since both the upper and lower house will set the country on the right path with its constitutional committees and drafting of laws and regulations. This is the only viable way for Egypt's stability after the transitional period,“ said Mohamed Morsy, the President of the Freedom and Justice Party, in a statement Monday. The Brotherhood's warning to SCAF comes amidst intensifying tensions between the Islamist group and the ruling council. The Brotherhood spoke out last week when authorities announced that the state's emergency law, which was set to expire before parliamentary elections, would not be repealed until June of 2012. The Brotherhood said that they would not allow elections to take place while the emergency law is still in force. In light of the announcement, the Brotherhood will join protesters in the “Deafening Silence” protest on Friday September 16. BM
