Islamist Parties Expect to Hold Majority in Egypt’s Preliminary Vote
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December 1, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Early results in Egypt’s election show Islamist parties are expecting to command a majority of seats in newly elected parliament.
Islamist parties are expecting to gain the majority of seats in Egypt’s newly elected parliament. Ahead of official preliminary results today, Egypt’s previously forbidden Muslim Brotherhood believe that their Freedom and Justice party is on course to secure 40% of seats after the first stage of voting is passed off this week.
The Muslim Brotherhood, banned in Egypt since the 1950s, expect to follow hard on the heels of victories in Tunisia and Morocco, whose elections saw Islamist parties gaining a majority of parliamentary seats.
According to their political programme, The Freedom of Justice party states that it aims to achieve a “civil state, defined as a non-military non-religious state… that respects human rights”.
Rabab al-Mahdi, professor of political science at the American University in Cairo, argued that this result could act as an opportunity for the Muslim Brotherhood to prove themselves to Egyptian citizens.
“This is an excellent chance to test the group. For years they have been making claims – such as the fact that freedom and religion can be compatible – without being held accountable,” she said.
However, some western powers worry that an Islamist party will erode Egypt’s social freedoms and may threaten Cairo’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said that the west should embrace Islamist political power, as they are likely to represent most of the Arab world in the near future. He also added that having moderate Islamists in power could help to combat “extremist ideology”.
“We shouldn’t fear them, let’s cooperate with them. We should not have a problem with anyone who operates within the norms of international law, comes to power and fight terrorism,” he said.
However, many of Egypt’s voters remain sceptical. Critics argue that the new parliament which is set to replace Egypt’s former leader, Hosni Mubarak, who held a 30 year autocratic rule over the country, will fall under the command of military rulers.
Many voters argue that military rulers currently in charge of the country, known as the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (Scaf) will not be willing to hand over real power to the new civilian leaders.
Preliminary results released later today will show how a third of districts in Egypt have voted. The exact makeup of Egypt’s parliament will not become clear until January 2012, after the staggered voting process ends.
By Chloe Nicholas
[Image courtesy of monasosh]
