Brotherhood Leader Bishr: Doctors Election Results Satisfactory Under Coup Conditions

Brotherhood Leader Bishr: Doctors Election Results Satisfactory Under Coup Conditions

A senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt said that the modest result achieved by "Doctors for Egypt" in syndicate elections Saturday (December 14) was satisfactory under the exceptional conditions and special hardship taking place in the whole country and which no doubt reflected on the group.


According to semi-final results, the Brotherhood-affiliated "Doctors for Egypt" candidate list won 33 seats (or 29%) of total Egyptian Medical Association (EMA) sub-union seats. It also won one seat out of 12 contested EMA seats.


In a statement, Dr. Mohamed Ali Bishr, member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s consultative Shura Council, said the result is satisfactory in the current circumstances, in light of the difficult conditions experienced by the country and reflected on the Brotherhood after "the coup against legitimacy and the incarceration of all the group’s leaders in coup prisons".


He further explained that "Participation in EMA union elections has nothing to do with the coup. These are vocational polls that primarily serve members of the profession, called by elected panels, not coup authorities, and run by elected members of the profession.


"What we refuse to participate in are parliamentary assembly elections directly linked to coup authorities, as political processes."


Dr. Bishr pointed that the "Doctors for Egypt" candidate list fought the elections in abnormal conditions, as most of the leaders of trade union action (e.g. Dr. Gamal Abdul-Salam, EMA’s Secretary-General) are held hostage in coup prisons, and the rest are being vindictively hunted and persecuted by coup security forces.


"The exceptional conditions of incarceration, persecution and vilification of the Brotherhood after the coup impacted the results. Nevertheless, we respect the results, because we respect the ballot-box.


"We respect the will of voters. Brotherhood-affiliated winners of these elections will certainly take part with the rest EMA members in endeavors to achieve doctors’ goals and aspirations. For them, winning the election is not an end, but a means to serve their fellow professionals… We simply want to take part with everyone in order to achieve progress and development for our dear homeland."