The shape of Egypt's new legislature will be determined in view of today's elections that have been proceeded by acrimonious debates about transparency and a no less acrimonious race between the ruling National Democratic Party and other political forces. The countdown to the polls has been marred violent clashes; not only between the NDP supporters and the banned-yet-tolerated Muslim Brotherhood, but also surprisingly among NDP cohorts themselves. We dare say that legislative polls in Egypt have been associated with violence, putting a question mark on the credibility of the ballots. Interference by security forces on Election Day has become quite common. There is much evidence that violence will continue to mar electoral processes supposed to be a manifestation of democratic practice. The Muslim Brotherhood is the closest and strongest contender to the ruling party. It grabbed 88 out of 444 seats at stake in the 2005 polls and has complained about security harassment meant to curb the group's campaigning in the past few weeks. Moreover, against perceived tight curbs on the private mass media's live election coverage, there is much controversy on whether the media should be content with limited freedom or not be involved at all. So will the news on skirmishes, intimidation and the lack of international monitoring prompt a high turnout that defies rigging claims? Or will the turnout be minimal as usual in protest of an allegedly flawed electoral process? These and other questions haunt today's balloting.
