Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

It was also clear that the Tagammu Party, along with the Nasserist Party, would not boycott for the same reasons, and that dialogue over the principle of participation or boycott was a waste of time, as the stances of the four parties were explicit and held no surprises. Thus, when the Democratic Front Party announced that it was boycotting the elections, it seemed logical to think that the coalition had collapsed, and that its parties had failed to take a unified decision. Noteworthy is the fact that the four parties had blamed the Society of the Muslim Brotherhood for – and perhaps accused it of – taking an individual stance without coordinating with the opposition by announcing that the Brotherhood would take part in the elections, claiming that the Society had thereby struck a blow against the unity of the opposition, despite the fact that these same four parties had excluded the Muslim Brotherhood from their coalition. On the whole, those who follow the Egyptian political scene now realize the extent of the predicament within the political parties and forces of the Egyptian opposition, not just at the level of mutual accusations, but even at the internal level in every party or group.

Thus, those who oppose participation in the elections speak louder than those who consider participating to be beneficial and withdrawing to serve the ruling party rather than democracy or the electoral process. The latter also consider that exposing the methods of falsification would only take place if all political forces participate, and that leaving the scene to the ruling party is what the NDP wishes for, even if it does not frankly declare it.

The Egyptian opposition was not satisfied with the majority within it agreeing on participating in the elections, and the attacks against one another began. Thus the ruling party found the ground prepared for it to win the elections by a landslide, whether because of the opposition’s weakness or because it is keeping itself busy, regardless of electoral “games” and of the fact that the NDP holds the capabilities of the state and makes use of them in favor of its candidates. It would be logical for the decision made by the political parties and the Muslim Brotherhood to take part in the elections not to sit well with those gathered around Dr. Mohamed El-Baradei, who have adopted a stance demanding the amendment of the constitution and of laws “bearing relation to” the parliamentary elections. Yet it is strange for the political parties to turn against each other, having failed to agree, along with the Brotherhood, over a unified stance. This is the scene in Egypt before the parliamentary elections. What to say then of what the situation will be before the presidential elections which will take place before the end of next year?

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