Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood confirms poll participation



CAIRO- The opposition Muslim Brotherhood has confirmed it will take part in next month's legislative elections in Egypt, the official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.
The group plans to field candidates for 30 percent of the 518 seats in parliament, its leader Mohammed Badie was quoted by MENA as saying. The names of its candidates will be announced in the coming days, he said.



Mohammed Badie
Mohammed Badie
Although the Brotherhood, Egypt's largest and most organised opposition group, is officially banned, it still controls a fifth of the seats in parliament after fielding candidates as "independents" in 2005.
It declined to join former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohammed ElBaradei in his call for an election boycott.
The number of seats will increase to 518 at the next election which is due at the end of November after the government assigned a new quota of 64 seats reserved for women.
President Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party dominates the current lower house.
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Sunday, October 10th 2010
AFP
           


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