CAIRO - Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and some opposition parties Saturday condemned the storming of Alexandria University by alleged membersof banned Muslim Brotherhood while trying to paste up election posters for the group's candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections. “The violations committed by the Brotherhood inside the university campus are totally rejected,” said Alieddin Hilal, a spokesman for the NDP. He added that the Brotherhood's violent approach inside universities contradicted democracy and violated the law. Dozens of supporters of Islamist candidates in the coastal city of Alexandria stormed the university campus raising banners to urge students to vote for them in the elections, according to witnesses. Refaat el-Saeed, the head of the leftist el-Tagammu Progressive Party, also condemned the Islamists' behaviour as a crime against the university and society. "This is a public challenge for society and the Higher Election Commission," el-Saeed added. He called on the authorities concerned to use “all possible means” to stop such practices as well as halting the banner 'Islam is the Solution', which is favoured by the muslim Brotherhood. Ahmed Hassan, the secretary general of the Nassrist Party, also described the storming of the campus as “foolish behaviour” and a “desperate bid” to win sympathy from Egyptians. "The Brotherhood always violates the law with impunity. Time has come for it to be stopped from doing so," Hassan said. The Higher Election Commission has banned campaigning by all candidates in the November 28 elections until the final lists are declared. These lists are scheduled to be released today as election campaigns are due to start. The Brotherhood, officially banned in Egypt since 1954, has said it aims to win 30 per cent of the Parliament's seats in this month's elections. Security forces on Tuesday detained 57 campaign workers from the Islamist group while hanging election posters in Alexandria. The arrests bring to about 250 the number of Brotherhood members detained since the group announced on October 9 its decision to contest the vote. Alexandria, a Brotherhood stronghold, promises to see one of the most heated election contests.
