|
|||||||
:: Egypt’s 2010 Parliamentary Elections > 2010 election update | |||||||
![]() The Brotherhood: No hope for the NDP in Alexandria
Sobhi Saleh, a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarian, is convinced the upcoming parliamentary elections are going to be a fierce competition in Alexandria because the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has been actively seeking to curb the political influence of Brotherhood members there.
|
|||||||
Friday, November 19,2010 00:22 | |||||||
|
|||||||
Sobhi Saleh, a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarian, is convinced the upcoming parliamentary elections are going to be a fierce competition in Alexandria because the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has been actively seeking to curb the political influence of Brotherhood members there. Saleh is running against NDP candidate, Minister of Local Development, and former Alexandria Governor Abdel Salam Mahgoub. Unlike other governorates, which have a mix of non-Brotherhood independent candidates and representatives of political parties, Alexandria is highly dominated by the two main opposing blocs: the NDP and the MB?. In the 2005 elections, power was divided in Alexandria between the NDP, which won only nine seats out of 20, and eight seats for the Brotherhood, in addition to two non-Brotherhood independent candidates. The Nasserist party secured one seat. The NDP, which has only nine seats in the coastal city in the outgoing parliament, declared that it is fielding 29 candidates--of whom two are cabinet ministers--in the poll. "The NDP wants to reshape the electoral scene in Alexandria," argued Saleh. "They are afraid of the Brothers’ influence especially with the systematic deterioration in the lives of people in Alexandria." The unemployment rate in Alexandria rose by more than 12.9 percent in the last five years, which makes it the highest official unemployment rate by district in Egypt. When asked about the power of his NDP rival in al-Raml constituency, Saleh said, "he doesn’t worry me. He is coming to the constituency bearing all the files of corruption and governments failure. You have to take into consideration that al-Raml is the constituency of Hisham Talaat Mustafa and everybody in the constituency is against him and his misconduct." Mustafa is the NDP member and Egyptian real estate tycoon who, in September, was found guilty of hiring a former Egyptian police officer to kill 30-year-old pop star Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim in Dubai in July 2008 to avenge her acts of adultery against him. In the last parliamentary elections, Brotherhood candidates played on the misconduct of the government in order to mobilize voters in their favor, according to Michele Dunne and Amr Hamzawy of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "I'm an opposition member. I have to make use of the government’s errors," said Saleh, adding that Mahgoub was a former governor of Alexandria and voters in his constituency don't feel that he brought them anything. The Salafi movement in Alexandria adds to the elections power game. Historically, the movement is a strong social and religious force known for its apolitical discourse and strict focus on Islamic principles. Both the NDP and the Muslim Brotherhood are seeking the movements' electoral support, however. "I know that NDP is trying to reach them, however, there will be no Islamic movement that will refrain from giving its votes to another Islamic Movement," said Saleh. As for potential irregularities--no full judicial supervision over the elections has been granted by the government--Saleh said that the Brotherhood is simply ready for more formidable fight. They will also have to monitor ballot boxes more closely, he added. “We are prepared to see more of our supporters detained or being physically attacked by the police and its thugs," concluded Saleh. “We have more burden to carry and more sacrifices to make this time |
|||||||
tags: Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood / Sobhi Saleh / Egyptian Parliament / Egyptian Election / MB Detainees / MB Arrests / MB Candidate / MB Supporters / Security Forces / NDP / Freedom in Egypt / Alexandria / Egyptian Government / Egyptian Opposition / Opposition Parties / / Moderate Muslim Brotherhood / Moderate MB / 2005 Elections / Civil Liberties / Egyptian Constitution / International Monitors / People Assembly /
Posted in 2010 election update |
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
Related Articles | |||||||