Al Katatni: 60 MBs Registered for Municipal Elections, 700 Detained

Al Katatni: 60 MBs Registered for Municipal Elections, 700 Detained

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary bloc and independent MPs called on the government to stop its intervention in the nomination process of the municipal elections so that citizens can practice their constitutional right.
 
The MPs attacked, in a press conference organized on Monday afternoon, March 10 in front of the People”s Assembly, the exercises and violations committed by the executive authority against citizens in general and against the Muslim Brotherhood”s potential candidates in particular .
 
Dr. Mohamed Saad Al Katatni, chairman of Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary bloc, said that Interior Ministry”s violations against potential candidates who want to stand municipal elections started even before opening door for nominations, and arrests included 700 Muslim Brotherhood potential candidates.
 
Al Katatni detailed some of the government violations against the backdrop of the municipal elections, included preventing potential candidates from getting criminal records, snatching nomination papers, and making fake queues to deny them the chance to submit papers. Al Katatni said that 6 days after opening the nomnation only 60 MB candidates nationwide managed to submit papers out of 52600.
 
Al Katatni pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood can compete on all seats of the municipal elections, but the group preferred to have a limited participation. However, the ruling party does not want any MB or opposition.
 
“We raised, in Monday”s People”s Assembly session, the issue of arresting MB potential candidates and the continuous violations committed by the government in the municipal elections, but we received no response from government”, Al Katatni said.
Asked about any possible coordination with other parties, Al Katatni said ” we have already held contacts to coordinate with other parties, but nothing has happened so far. The parties told us that they face the same harassments which we are facing. “If a breakthrough emerges in the remaining few days, a coordination may happen between us and other parties”, he said.
 
Up till this moment, we resort to legal methods to counter such violations, and we will continue on this till next Thursday. After that, we will mull more appropriate reactions, he said.