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CAIRO (AFP) - Two Muslim Brotherhood members won seats in parliament in the first stage of elections in Egypt, official results showed Thursday, despite charges that ruling party candidates had tried to sabotage their chances.
Hamdi Hassan and Hussein Ibrahim, who ran as independents but publicized their membership in the banned Muslim Brotherhood, won by a clear margin over their closest rival in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The rival was a member of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). On Wednesday, both Hassan and Ibrahim accused NDP rivals of orchestrating "aggressive acts" at their polling station to undermine their chances. Egypt's Islamists are prevented by law from using religion in their politics, but are allowed to run for parliament either as independent candidates or under the ticket of a legal political party. There was only one Islamist in the outgoing parliament and a total of only 13 opposition MPs, and Islamists still have a chance to win in further stages of the elections, which will last until mid-November. At least 19 NDP and six independent candidates also won enough votes to secure a place in the chamber. Two cabinet ministers, Agriculture Minister Yussef Wali and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal al-Shazli were among the NDP candidates to win, according to results obtained from the interior ministry. Turnout was reported at more than 50%. There were 150 seats up for grabs in the first stage of voting Wednesday in nine of Egypt's 26 governorates, but most places will go to a second round on October 24 as there was no clear winner. There will then be two more stages of voting in other parts of the country. A survey of 1,600 people by the pro-government Al-Ahram newspaper's research center indicated the opposition would win 67 of the 444 seats up for grabs, a large increase from the 13 they won in the 1995 election. The last elections were marked by allegations of massive fraud as well as violence that left around 60 people dead. The current elections must have a member of the judiciary in every polling station in accordance with electoral laws that were amended in July following a lengthy lawsuit. |
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