CAIRO- Egypt's parliamentary elections due to be held next November will be strong , according to a European Union official in Cairo. Head of the European Commission in Egypt Marc Franco added at an Iftar (a fast-breaking meal) gathering with reporters Wednesday evening that he would follow up on the upcoming elections through the Egyptian media, which he noted is tackling once-taboo issues. Though the November elections will not be internationally monitored, the European Commission maintains "a constant dialogue with the Egyptian Government" to ensure the vote will be monitored through the National Council for Human Rights (a State-backed watchdog) and civil society groups, added the European diplomat. Opposition and non-governmental groups have said that the elections of the Shura Council (the Upper House of the Egyptian Parliament) held last May were marred by vote rigging and obstruction of voters from casting their ballots. Franco said that the European Union offered funding and training to non-governmental organizations in Egypt to monitor elections, putting this financial support at around 50 million euros. Opposition parties and the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's banned-yet-influential opposition power, have yet to say if they will participate in the Noveklember elections amidst calls from some protest groups to boycott the polls for fear of fraud.
