Islamists claim victory in Egypt runoffs
Source: Agencies |
December 8, 2011, Thursday
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EGYPT'S Muslim Brotherhood said yesterday it won the most seats in a first-round parliamentary vote, with early tallies suggesting liberals had backed some of its candidates to block hard-line Salafis.
The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, which has promised to work with a broad coalition in the new assembly, secured 34 individual seats out of the 45 it contested in the runoffs on Monday and Tuesday.
The Islamist group, which was banned under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, had already won 37 percent of the vote in an initial phase of the multi-pronged election, meaning it is well on course to have the largest bloc of seats in the new assembly.
Its success confirms a trend set by Islamist election wins in post-uprising Tunisia and in Morocco, disappointing many of the democracy activists who led protests that toppled Mubarak.
But the real surprise in the opening ballot was the success of the ultra-conservative Salafi al-Nour party, which secured 24 percent of the vote.
Official results are not due until today, but leaked tallies suggested secular moderates might have rallied behind the Brotherhood to thwart the Salafis.
Sayyeda Ibrahim, 52, a cook from Cairo, said she voted for a Salafi candidate in last week's first round but regretted her choice later when she saw him debate with a liberal candidate. "That bearded fellow is too radical," she claimed.
The strong showing by Islamists has unnerved Israel, which called on Egypt this week to preserve their 1979 peace treaty, and also the United States which has backed the peace deal with billions of dollars in military aid for both countries.
The Brotherhood and Salafi al-Nour party share much of the same rhetoric, focused on applying Islamic sharia law as the solution to Egypt's problems. But the Brotherhood has emphasized the political reform agenda it shares with a broad range of groups that took part in the uprising early this year.
The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, which has promised to work with a broad coalition in the new assembly, secured 34 individual seats out of the 45 it contested in the runoffs on Monday and Tuesday.
The Islamist group, which was banned under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, had already won 37 percent of the vote in an initial phase of the multi-pronged election, meaning it is well on course to have the largest bloc of seats in the new assembly.
Its success confirms a trend set by Islamist election wins in post-uprising Tunisia and in Morocco, disappointing many of the democracy activists who led protests that toppled Mubarak.
But the real surprise in the opening ballot was the success of the ultra-conservative Salafi al-Nour party, which secured 24 percent of the vote.
Official results are not due until today, but leaked tallies suggested secular moderates might have rallied behind the Brotherhood to thwart the Salafis.
Sayyeda Ibrahim, 52, a cook from Cairo, said she voted for a Salafi candidate in last week's first round but regretted her choice later when she saw him debate with a liberal candidate. "That bearded fellow is too radical," she claimed.
The strong showing by Islamists has unnerved Israel, which called on Egypt this week to preserve their 1979 peace treaty, and also the United States which has backed the peace deal with billions of dollars in military aid for both countries.
The Brotherhood and Salafi al-Nour party share much of the same rhetoric, focused on applying Islamic sharia law as the solution to Egypt's problems. But the Brotherhood has emphasized the political reform agenda it shares with a broad range of groups that took part in the uprising early this year.
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