Accusations are being traded between candidates belonging to the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Muslim Brotherhood and independents running for the Shura Council mid-term elections scheduled for June, with banners being torn down, police reports filed, and complaints made to the Electoral Commission.
A number of Muslim Brotherhood candidates accused the NDP of tearing down their banners and preventing them from organizing electoral rounds.
Essam el-Erian, member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, said Egyptian security has been trying to exclude Brotherhood candidates from all constituencies. “There is so much evidence, including daily arrests of our candidates’ supporters, and pressure on the owners of shops selling cloth and calligraphists not to deal with Brotherhood candidates.”
A source within the group mentioned that the Guidance Bureau sends and receives about 1000 SMS messages daily at its administrative offices, giving instructions and hearing problems that candidates face.
Mohamed Habib, Supreme Guide of the Brotherhood, said on the groups website: “We won’t give up our slogan [“Islam is the solution”]. The administrative court has approved it as a legal slogan.”
Meanwhile in Port Said, the post office authority agreed with NDP party leaders to deliver campaign literature titled “Only for you,” which is the NDP’s slogan. Banners were also hung in Shubra, el-Sahel and Rhod el-Farag, for Mortada Mansour, former chairman of Zamalek football club, supporting NDP candidate Saad el-Gohari.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
