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The MEMRI Daily: December 28, 2010

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The following is research published today from MEMRI’s Special Dispatch Series and the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor.

*Special Dispatch Series

Inquiry & Analysis No. 653—Egypt

Results of Elections to Egyptian People's Assembly - Ruling Party: 420 Seats, Muslim Brotherhood: 0

By: L. Azuri*

The first round of Egypt's People's Assembly elections, held November 28, 2010, ended with the Muslim Brotherhood routed, while President Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) enjoyed a sweeping victory. The Brotherhood was expected to lose seats, considering the ongoing clashes between Brotherhood members and Egyptian security forces and following attempts by the NDP to hobble the Brotherhood and create general conditions ensuring its own victory. These included the arrest of more than 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood members, a de-legitimization campaign against the movement, the issuing of media restrictions, and the Egyptian regime's emphatic rejection of U.S. demands that the elections be held under international supervision. None, however, expected so crushing a defeat for the Muslim Brotherhood. While in the outgoing Assembly, the Brotherhood had 88 seats– roughly 20% of the house – in the recent elections not even one of its several hundred candidates won a seat in parliament.

The Muslim Brotherhood called the elections results a joke and say it is proof of the lack of democracy in Egypt under the NDP, which it accused of political thuggery and of rigging the elections, forging ballots, and falsifying results. Accordingly, the Brotherhood announced its decision to boycott the second round of elections, in which 27 of its candidates were slated to run. The Al-Wafd party likewise decided to boycott the second round of elections, citing similar reasons. A number of its candidates chose to run nonetheless, for which the party suspended them. The two parties' boycott of the second round of elections embarrassed the Egyptian regime and the ruling party, because it perpetuated the NDP's monopoly and the absence of any real opposition from the People's Assembly, thus strengthening the allegations that Egypt lacks real party pluralism or parliamentary democracy, and that the regime is preparing to transfer the presidency to Gamal Mubarak, since the upcoming presidential elections, slated for September 2011, are open only to candidates from parties represented in the People's Assembly.

Representatives from the opposition alleged that, troubled by the results of the first round, the NDP had made efforts to strengthen the opposition in the second round – again by pressuring voters and forging ballots – in order to debunk claims that it had arranged to monopolize the People's Assembly. Ultimately, the second round ended with a total of 420 seats for the NDP; 69 for independent candidates, and 15 for opposition candidates (from the Al-Wafd, Tagammu', Al-Ghad, Al-Gil, Democratic Peace, and Social Justice parties), with 10 additional seats going to presidential appointees. The regime maintained that the results reflect the will of the people and the traditional 80/20 ratio between the NDP and the opposition parties.

To read in full, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4875.htm.

Special Dispatch No. 3476—Egypt/Muslim Brotherhood

General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Muhammad Badi', in Pre-Election Interview, Calls to Remove the NDP from Power: 'If Egypt Continues This Way, It Will Become a Catastrophe for Its People'

Following are excerpts from an interview with Muhammad Badi', General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on November 24, 2010:

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/2732.htm.

Interviewer: "General Fuad Allam, who is described as your sworn enemy, said, in a statement published the day before yesterday, that the Muslim Brotherhood would resort to arms and bombings, in order to incite the masses, and to mar the parliamentary elections in the eyes of the countries of the world."

Muhammad Badi': "First, I think that the testimony of General Fuad Allam must be refuted. His testimony is unacceptable..."

To read in full, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4876.htm.

*From the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor

Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood: Muslim Rulers Must Send their Armies to Fight Alongside the Afghan Mujahideen

The Central Committee of Islamic Shari'a Scholars in Jordan's Islamic Action Front party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Jordan, issued a fatwa supporting jihad in Afghanistan and opposing Jordan's military assistance to NATO forces there.

To read in full, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=4179&param=GJN.

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