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Egypt: “Hardline Islamists” surge in polls, may have 20% of votes

Dec 1, 2011 8:25 am By Marisol Seibold

We tried to tell you. A democracy is only as good as the values that inform its participants. “Hardline Islamist surge in Egypt polls,” by Adam Plowright for Agence France-Presse, December 1:

Egypt is awaiting results on Thursday from its first election since its February revolution which are set to confirm moderate Islamists as the dominant force, but with a strong showing from hardliners.

The Muslim Brotherhood, a moderate Islamist movement banned for decades by Hosni Mubarak, has emerged from the shadows since the fall of the autocrat and has forecast its party will take at least 40 percent of the vote.

The battle for second place had been seen as between secular liberals and hardline Islamists who follow the strict Salafi brand of Islam, with local media indicating the latter might prevail in the new parliament.

“Al-Nur, the surprise of the moment,” headlined the independent Al-Shorouq daily on Thursday, referring to the main party of the Salafists whose members follow a strict form of Islam dominant in Saudi Arabia.

Estimates in the press indicated they would win around 20 percent of the vote when results are published later Thursday at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) for the areas that voted on Monday and Tuesday — about a third of all constituencies.

Millions of Egyptians embraced their new democratic freedoms in the capital Cairo and second-city Alexandria earlier this week in the first phase of multi-stage parliamentary elections.

Analysts warn against reading too much into only the first stage of a parliamentary election that will last until March, but the results will reveal the political trends in a country that has not had a free vote in 60 years.

The prospect of an Islamist-dominated parliament raises fears among liberals about civil liberties and religious freedom in a country with the Middle East’s largest Christian minority, and tolerance of multi-party democracy.

The Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party says it strives for a “civil state, defined as a non-military non-religious state… that respects human rights” according to its political programme.

Lies. How can we tell? Article 2 of the constitution. That provision is certain not to budge from the next constitution, which has been heavily influenced by the Brotherhood, and defines Sharia as the basis of legislation. A “non-religious state.” Sure.

Leaders have repeatedly stressed their commitment to multi-party democracy and inclusiveness, and pledged to ensure freedoms.

The group has been officially banned since the 1950s, but it counts hundreds of thousands of members and is known for its vast network of social and religious outreach programmes, as well as its stand against corruption.

It is easy to stand against the other guy’s corruption. What happens when the Brotherhood’s own good ol’ boy network is in power? They have already shown their own propensity toward corruption by attempting to buy votes, and maintaining a presence in polling places to “show people how to vote.”

“The Brotherhood beats the drums of victory,” headlined the independent daily Al-Shorouk on Thursday.

Al-Nur was initially part of the Democratic Alliance coalition led by the Muslim Brotherhood, but they left to form their own Islamic Alliance, which calls for a strict interpretation of Islamic law in economic and social life.

“The fear is that if the Islamist forces dominate the new parliament, that could lead to an undemocratic system, and one that is authoritarian in the name of religion,” said Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at the University of Cairo, quoted by Al-Shorouq….

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Filed Under: Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood


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