Egypt's ruling party crushes opposition in vote
Election monitors charged on Monday that Egypt’s polls were marked by widespread fraud, as President Hosni Mubarak’s party prepared to take almost 100-percent control of parliament.
The country’s election commission announced that the results of Sunday’s second round of voting would be announced later in the day.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which controlled a fifth of seats in the outgoing parliament, quit the race after winning no seats in the Nov. 28 first round. The second biggest opposition group in the last parliament, the liberal Wafd party, also withdrew.
The leftist Tagammu party was set to be the biggest opposition bloc in the new 518-seat parliament with just five seats. Party official Abdel Kareem Kassem said Tagammu won four seats in Sunday’s run-offs, adding to a seat it won on Nov. 28.
Some Tagammu had pressed its leadership to join the boycott.
After the run-offs, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) was set to win about 80 percent of seats in the 518 seat parliament, based on official figures from the first round and preliminary run-off results cited by state media.
The NDP controlled about 70 percent in the last parliament.
The state-run al-Akhbar newspaper reported that initial results from the run-offs indicated the ruling party had won 209 seats, adding to the 209 it won in the first round, or 418 seats overall. A state website put the total at 423 seats.
The Independent Coalition for Elections’ Observation said widespread violations, including violence and fraud, had marred both rounds, raising serious questions over the legitimacy of the new parliament.
"Both rounds of elections witnessed violence in the presence of security which directly resulted in the death of a number of citizens, the exclusion of candidates and their representatives, and attacks" on independent monitors.
"Polling stations and ballot counting premises have become breeding grounds for forging ballot cards and manipulation of the will of voters… This was especially apparent during the second round," the Egyptian group added.
"Serious challenges now strongly surround the legitimacy of the People’s Assembly if it is formed according to the announced results of the parliamentary elections."
The runoff saw NDP candidates run mostly against members of the same party.
The first round was also heavily criticized by Egypt’s ally the United States and human rights groups, especially over the harassment and intimidation of the Brotherhood.
According to some pro-government media, the NDP is guaranteed a 97-percent majority in the new parliament, including nominal independents aligned with the NDP, with a handful of other seats going to small opposition groupings.
Opposition papers said Egypt was turning into a one-party state with a servile parliament which is tasked next year with electing a president at a time when long-time incumbent Mubarak, 82, has yet to clarify if he will stand.