Voting begins in Egypt amid protests and boycott calls
Tuesday, 08 Apr 2008 14:08
Local elections are taking place in Egypt amid violent protests
Local elections are taking place in Egypt amid violent protests and calls for a boycott by the opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.
The ruling National Democratic party (NDP) is set to score a convincing victory in the elections, with its members standing unopposed in the majority of the seats.
Some 52,000 local councillors are being selected in today's vote.
Only 20 candidates linked to the opposition Muslim Brotherhood are being permitted to stand in the elections after thousands were rejected.
Yesterday, a 15-year-old boy was killed during protests in Mahalla al-Kubra. The youth was shot dead by police during a demonstration over the current high costs of living in Egypt.
Soaring house prices and poor wages have led to many people taking to the streets in demonstration against the government in recent days.
Reports claim a massive crackdown was introduced by the government ahead of today's elections, with many opposition candidates being arrested and people unable to register to vote, effectively sealing victory for the NDP.
In response to the crackdown the Muslim Brotherhood called for a boycott of the local elections last night.
"We have decided to boycott the municipal elections, to withdraw our candidates and to appeal to the people not to vote," said the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood in parliament, Hussein Ibrahim.