MUSLIM BROTHERS TO CONTEST EGYPT POLLS

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition force with a fifth of seats in the parliament, decided to brave a security crackdown and contest in the upcoming municipal elections. Candidates will be competing for 46,000 local council’s seats in the April 8 elections. Although officially banned, the Muslim Brotherhood poses the most serious challenge to the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Despite allegations of rigging and vote-buying, its candidates, who ran as independents, won a fifth of seats in the 2006 parliamentary elections. The municipal polls, due the same year, were postponed for two years in what observers said was a way to avoid another success for the Brotherhood. The new law required independent presidential candidates to secure the backing 65 members in the lower house of parliament, 25 in the upper house and 140 municipal councillors. Muslim Brotherhood decided to contest the municipal elections despite a security crackdown on its members.