CAIRO,
December 7, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Egyptians began
voting Wednesday in the last round of the month-long parliamentary
election that saw the Muslim Brotherhood emerging as the main serious
challenge to the ruling National democratic Party (NDP).
Only
nine seats – out of 136 – were decided in the first leg of the third
and final round that was held Thursday, December 1; four seats for the
NDP, four for independents and one for Al-Wafd party.
The
remaining 127 seats up for grabs Wednesday sees a burning competition
among the 254 candidates in the nine governorates; 201 of them are NDP,
50 independents, 35 Muslim Brotherhood candidates, two for Al-Wafd and
one for the Nasserite Party.
Voting
is taking place in the Nile Delta, Sohag and Aswan in southern Egypt,
the Red Sea coast and the Sinai peninsula, where no candidate won more
than 50 percent of the vote in Thursday's first leg.
The
Muslim Brotherhood, which fields candidates as independents because it
is not officially recognized as a party, has already won 76 seats in the
454-seat parliament, compared to 15 seats when the last parliament ended
its term.
The
NDP, led by veteran president Hosni Mubarak, is on the verge of winning
a two-thirds majority that will ensure it retains control of any vote on
constitutional amendments in parliament.
Voting
had been due to take place for the 127 seats but legal disputes over
last week's results delayed voting in some areas, a member of the Muslim
Brotherhood told Reuters in Kafr El-Sheikh where polling stations stayed
closed.
Other
polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and are due to close at 7
p.m. (1700 GMT).
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Others tried to find a way to cast ballots.
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Egypt's
parliamentary polls kicked off Wednesday, November 9, and was marred by
widespread violence, claims of fraud, complaints by the judges
monitoring the poll, reports of police intimidating voters away from
casting their ballots and detaining large numbers of MB activists.
The
New York-based Human Rights Watch has scolded the US administration's
comments on the elections, saying the remarks were "utterly
disconnected from the reality of what is happening in Egypt today."
Independent
monitors have reported the use of NDP-hired thugs to intimidate
supporters of opposition candidates and voters.
IOL
has revealed that Egyptian security agents directed machete- and
club-wielding gangs in attacks against voters and supporters of
opposition candidates in the second round of voting.
