Tuesday, 10 January 2012Egypt's liberal Free Egyptians Party announced Monday that it will boycott forthcoming election for the upper house of parliament, or Shura Council, and urged other parties to follow suit, dpa reported.
The party said it took the decision after authorities failed to "seriously" address violations in elections for the lower house, or People's Assembly.
The powers of the People's Assembly are greater than those of the Shura Council. Elections for the 270-seat Shura Council are to be held in two stages, with voting taking place between January 29 and February 22.
Official results of People's Assembly elections, which took place from November 28-January 10 as the first election since Hosny Mubarak was forced from power in February, are expected by mid-January.
The Free Egyptians Party said that violations in the elections had affected the outcome, which did not truly reflect the will of the people.
Islamist parties, all of which were officially licensed after Mubarak's exit, have made sweeping gains in all three rounds of voting and are expected to dominate Egypt's new parliament.
Local election monitor groups had reported some violations in the election, including illegal canvassing and the use of religious slogans outside voting stations by Islamist parties.
"The failure to take legal action against the perpetrators will inevitability increase abuses and violations in the upcoming Shura elections, which will award transgressors while punishing those committed to the law, and thus being an open call for corruption," the Free Egyptians Party said in a statement.
The party added that Shura Council elections would be "a waste of time and effort" since the house would continue to have no real power over legislation and remain incompatible with democratic standards.
The Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the influential Muslim Brotherhood, was leading in most constituencies, with the hardline Salafist Al-Nour party as runner-up. |
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
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