MB former MP: MB’s participation exposed regime’s poll rigging

 Media spokesman and former head of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) parliamentary bloc Dr. Mohamed Saad el-Ketatni, stressed that the electoral fraud, disrespect of the will of the people and non-implementation of the provisions of the Egyptian judiciary made the regime lose its legitimacy.

None of the candidates or members of the MB parliamentary bloc, which was the largest opposition bloc in the last Egyptian parliament, won in the first round. More than 20 out of 130 candidates will run in the re-elections as most MB MPs and candidates have been excluded due to the fraudulent results including Dr. Mohamed Saad el-Ketatni, head of the MB parliamentary bloc, and Dr. Hamdy Hassan, media secretary of the group.

Dr. el-Ketatni pointed out that through these fraudulent results, the regime seeks to deliver a message to the Egyptian people that it does not respect the people’s will, the law or the constitution and only does what it desires.

Dr. el-Ketatni was amazed at the exclusion of some MB candidates and MB MPs while others were allowed to run for re-election, pointing out that this should be registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

He pointed out that the regime has excluded prominent figures of the opposition including the MB and other parties and political powers such as Alaa Abdel Monem and Mustafa Sherdy as if it wishes to choose its own opposition.

He stressed that the elections were violated by the security intervention in some areas while others were quiet; however, assaults by thugs and filling ballot boxes with voting cards for the National Democratic Party (NDP) was a common scene in the elections.

Dr. el-Ketatni pointed out that the MB’s participation in the elections has exposed the methods used by the ruling regime in the exclusion policy used against its opposition.

Commenting on the statement made by Mofid Shehab, leader of the NDP, on how the elections revealed the MB’s presence, Dr. el-Ketatni responded saying: “Dr. Shehab is one of those who wrote the scenario of the violations in the parliamentary elections. He should respect his history and stay balanced".

The presence and popularity of the MB that were proven in the elections revealed the continuous popularity of the MB. This led the ruling party, security services and thugs to use violence in this way which has unfortunately tarnished Egypt’s reputation and destroyed the elections.

The re-elections will take place on December 5, 2010. The MB won a fifth of the seats in the last parliamentary elections with 88 seats.