Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood calls for election boycott

CAIRO-The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition force, called on Egyptians on Monday to boycott local council elections due on Tuesday in protest at the disqualification of most of its candidates.The group said its members had received more than 3,000 court rulings recognizing their right to stand in the elections, and close to 900 court rulings ordering a halt to the ballots when the government failed to comply.Husain Mohamed Ibrahim, deputy leader of the Brotherhood's parliamentary block, told Reuters:"There are court rulings that invalidate the president's call for elections on April 8 in almost half the constituencies...we call on our public to boycott these rigged elections,which the judiciary has already ruled should not be held."
"Participating in this farcical theatre would have given it legitimacy," Brotherhood lawmaker Mohamed El-Beltaugi told a news conference to announce the boycott.The government calls the Brotherhood a banned organization but allows it to operate within limits.The Islamist movement won about a fifth of the seats in parliament in 2005, making it the de facto leading opposition group.Founded in 1928, it advocates turning Egypt into an Islamic state through the ballot box.The local councils have little power, but the Brotherhood would need to have seats on provincial councils if it ever wanted to field an independent candidate for the Egyptian presidency.

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