• Reports
  • November 12, 2005
  • 5 minutes read

The MB Urges People to insist on Attending the Vote Count

The MB Urges People to insist on Attending  the Vote Count
By Muhammad el-Shreef


Mhammad Habeeb, the First Vice of the Supreme Guide of the Moslem Brotherhood and the head of its Supervisory Electoral Commission, called the Egyptians to insist to attend the voting count process of the parliamentary election.


 


In a press conference, held on Nov.12th at the headquarters of the movement, Habeeb said “we urge people to preserve to witness the poll count, and to make peaceful pressure till the announcement of the election outcome.” 


 


Habeeb encouraged the Egyptians to resist, by all available means, the governmental attempts of election frauds. He added that the ballot-rigging, of the result of the first phase of the parliamentary election, resulted from having election monitors, who are a part of the executive bodies of the state, so they had to act in accordance with the government’s intention.


 


Habeeb noted that most of the Moslem Brotherhood candidates were about to win unless the frauds, for example, vote buying, collective registered electorate, using outlaws to terrify voters, and the dismissal of the nominees’ agents out of count commissions.


 


Commenting on the movement’s tendency to change the controversial slogan, ’Islam is the remedy’, Habeeb said” we have adopted this slogan for a long time and we will never waiver it.”


 


Habeeb underlined that the slogan signifies Islam as is a comprehensive religion that covers all life aspects. It is not the authority of the Moslem Brotherhood only but of Egyptians and the Islamic countries also. He cited the support of Egyptians to the Moslem Brotherhood in the first stage of the parliamentary election as a clear evidence of the validity of the movement and its slogan. Plus, it is conformable with the second article of the Egyptian constitution, which stipulates that the Islam is the official religion of the Sate and the source of its legislation. Yet, “we do not regard those who are not members of the Moslem Brotherhood as non-Moslems,” he added.


 


 


As for the movement’s stand toward the National Front for Change, which stood aside the election, he explained that the relation between the MB and the National Front is coordinating regards the election. However, its withdrawal from election does not mean that the Moslem Brotherhood will make the same decision. Both of them are independently vie for election.


 


The Supreme Guide of the Moslem Brotherhood, Muhammad Akef, inaugurated the press conference by underscoring the significance of media to supervise election and to detect frauds.


 


Habeeb reviewed the press account of the Moslem Brotherhood in connection with the events of the first phase of the parliamentary election, in which the MB appreciates the increasing turnout.


 


In the statement, the Moslem Brotherhood expressed its hope to nourish this positive participation during the other two stages of the election in order to prevent any intended frauds to alter the national will.


 


The press report showed the outcome of the first phase of election, in which four candidates of the Moslem Brotherhood won while 42 other nominees will vie for reelection. The account added that six candidates of the Moslem Brotherhood fell.


 


The statement traced the negative and the positive remarks of the voting process. It praised the impartiality of police, which was termed as passive as regard certain infringements such as vote buying and the voters who cast votes outside their appointed districts.


 


The record condemned the lack of supervision over vote counting; a situation that provoked suspicion, especially after the dismissal of candidates and their agents in some districts. It also criticized the announced results, which contradict with the estimated figures stated during vote count.


 


The report proposed certain urgent procedures to be taken by the Supreme Electoral Commission. Firstly, the count process should be attended by the candidates and their agents. Secondly, an official document of count record ought to be granted to candidates’ agents. Thirdly, the polling boxes and count documents should be kept in the general commissions. Fourthly, the role of the general commissions ought to be restricted to the announcement of election outcome. The account proclaimed that these measures develop the Egyptian confidence in polls. 


 


The report, in addition, recorded the negative observations over the election process such as the unjustified delay in announcing the election results, the dismissal of the candidates’ agents before proclaiming the outcome, and the extensive presence of police to control the popular reaction following the declaration of the results, which contradict with the count.