CAIRO - The outgoing People's Assembly (the Lower House of the Egyptian Parliament) has 454 seats. The new one will have 518 after 64 women-only seats were added. Women can and do run for seats outside the quota. Only 508 seats will be contested. The President appoints the remaining 10. If no candidate receives more than 50 per cent of votes, the top two candidates contest a run-off vote on Dec. 5. A ruling party official estimates that 180 seats could go to a run-off. Parliament passes legislation, but the outgoing assembly was seen by critics as a rubber stamp for the Government because the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) had a two-thirds majority. The Muslim Brotherhood's impressive 2005 showing coincided with heavy pressure on Egypt from its ally and major aid donor, the United States, to open up its politics. That pressure, part of a drive for democracy in the Middle East launched by former president George W. Bush, faded even before he left office. Analysts say the authorities have signalled their intentions before this vote by rounding up many Brotherhood members. The ruling party's officials have also predicted the Brotherhood will lose seats. Even the Brotherhood quietly admits that it may lose ground and is fielding fewer candidates than five years ago. The liberal Wafd, a decades-old party which lacks the grassroots support the Brotherhood enjoys, is widely expected to make gains at the Islamist movement's expense. The Government insists voting is free and fair, and that any violations are investigated. The opposition and local election monitors have cited widespread abuses in previous votes, such as using security forces to block Islamist and other opposition supporters from voting. They expect similar government tactics this time. The Government has rejected international oversight. Some opposition groups say they don't want foreign involvement but complain that Egyptian monitors are denied proper access. The NDP maintained its grip on Parliament by reinstating dozens of former party members who had quit because they were not on the NDP's candidate list and then ran as independents, defeating the party's nominees. This year, the NDP is fielding around 770 candidates, so many NDP candidates will be running against each other. Party officials say this will help ensure that voters do not cast protest ballots for the Islamists or others out of frustration that their preferred NDP candidate was not on the ticket. Such frustrations are common in areas of Egypt where family or clan loyalties remain strong. The 2005 Legislature Ruling NDP - 318 Muslim Brotherhood - 86 Wafd - 12 Tagammu - 1 Ghad• - 1 Karameh - 2 Others including appointees - 34 TOTAL - 454 • The Ghad party in the outgoing Parliament is seen as a pro-government splinter group from the Ghad party founded by Ayman Nour, who came a distant second to Mubarak in the 2005 presidential poll.
