CAIRO, November 20, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agency) – The second round of Egypt's parliamentary election was marred by deadly violence and voter intimidation Sunday, November 20, as the regime appeared bent on curbing the surge of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"What is happening today is beyond imagination. Which other country uses drugged-up thugs to beat up the sons of the nation? They are ready to use their knives to prevent citizens from voting," Brotherhood candidate Mahmmoud Attiyah told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The month-long polls that kicked off on November 9 claimed their first victim when the driver for an independent candidate was beaten to death by thugs hired by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), independent vote monitors said.

Sources at Alexandria hospital confirmed the death of Mohammad Khalil, a 37-year-old father of three who worked as a driver for NDP renegade Hassan Hussein Hassan.

A second independent candidate, Seif Eddin Al-Kabbari, was stabbed by unknown men in the Karmuz district of the Mediterranean city, one of the bastions of the Brotherhood. His condition was believed to be serious.

Observers and the Muslim Brothers have warned of a government crackdown following their major gains in the first round, during which they mustered 34 seats, double the tally in the 2000 polls.

Close to 300 supporters and activists of the opposition group were arrested as the second phase kicked off.

The second phase involves close to 1,800 candidates battling it out over 144 seats. Runoffs will take place on November 26 before the final phase starts on December 1.

The irregularities in the second round astounded the civil society organizations overseeing the elections.

"The situation is getting worse and worse, and the operation is deteriorating in many spots, we have a lot of examples of interference in favor of the NDP," said Sherif Mansur of the independent Ibn Khaldun Centre for Development Studies.

"This phase will be more tense than the first round. The government will try to interfere with the polling process in a bid to prevent the surge of the Muslim Brotherhood," added judge Yehya Al-Rifai.

"There is more fraud that the judges can cope with," he warned, stressing that the number of judges assigned to polling stations and the contingent of independent monitors would not be sufficient to prevent irregularities.

In Benha, central Delta, a thug attacked University professor and Muslim Brotherhood candidate Muhsin Radi.

The assailant was rounded up and confessed that he was acting at directives from the State Security Services.

In Al-Bihra governorate, north of Cairo, NDP supporters attacked Muslim Brotherhood voters with sticks, according to IslamOnline.net's correspondent.

NDP thugs have run amok in the office of Muslim Brotherhood candidate in the governorate Gamal Hishmat, tampering with his papers and smashing windows.

Sabri Abu Khalaf, an aide to Brotherhood candidate in Al-Ismaliya governorate, was stabbed by unknown people in front of a polling station. The attackers took to their heels.