CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood's (MB) Guidance Office has announced that mid-term elections in its administrative offices in all governorates have been postponed. Osama Nasr El Din, a new member of the Guidance Office, told Al-Masry Al-Youm, that elections at the MB's administrative offices, which were scheduled to take place this July, are postponed, but didn't give any reason. The MB holds elections in its administrative offices and in its organizational structure every four years. The last elections were held in 2005. "The party is going through a rough time with the state security, with over 150 arrests and cases in military courts. So to carry out internal elections amidst all that, they will be provoking the state security even more, Diaa Rashwa, from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Daily News Egypt. "In addition, with five new members elected in the Guidance office last month and key members such as Khairat El Shater and Mohamead Aly Bishr detained, it's no time for elections, he added. The Muslim Brotherhood has been holding internal elections on a regular basis during the past 20 years, even after clashes with the state security forces during the internal elections in 1995. "We should praise them for holding internal elections in the first place and not criticize them for canceling one, said Rashwan. The only political party that holds internal elections on a regular basis is the Tagammu Party, said Rashwan. "Even when the National Democratic Party decided to hold internal elections it was only for the chairman's position, and it was simply for appearance because the rest of the party's positions are by appointment, he added. News reports had said that the end of May that the MB was holding internal elections. However, the party denied all claims. "The leadership is not aware of any internal elections taking place next month, Mahmoud Ezzat, secretary general of the MB, told Daily News Egypt at the time. "I don't understand where these newspapers got their information. Who are their sources? he added. The Brotherhood's 1995 elections featured clashes with state security ended with more than 80 members arrested and put on trial in a military court. Mahmoud Hussein and Mohamed Morsi were then appointed as new members of the office of the group's supreme guide without elections.
