quinta-feira, 30 de dezembro de 2010

Muslim Bros. contest Cairo's legitimacy

CAIRO, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The newly elected Parliament in Egypt is invalid because it ignored several court rulings, a former lawmaker with the Muslim Brotherhood said.

The Muslim Brotherhood took 20 percent of the seats in Parliament by running as independent candidates in 2005 elections. The opposition group, however, was eliminated from politics in November elections, which were greeted with suspicion by many of Cairo's allies, including the United States.

Sobhi Saleh, a Muslim Brotherhood member who lost his seat in the election, said the Parliament was invalid because Egypt's Higher Election Commission was hesitant to implement court decisions to suspend the announcement of voting results in more than 120 districts, the Muslim Brotherhood said on its official Ikhwanweb site.

"The court described the elections in these constituencies as 'unconstitutional' and 'illegal,' based on violations before and during the elections including the elimination of candidates from registration lists without justification," added former Muslim Brotherhood lawmaker Saad Aboud.

The Muslim Brotherhood ignored early calls for a boycott, saying reform could only come from within the Egyptian political system.

Leaders in the ruling National Democratic Party admitted to concerns in the election but said the voting was largely transparent and free.

Washington, a key ally, expressed its disappointment in the political climate in Egypt. UPI