US warns Egypt ahead of polls
2008-03-13 11:14
Washington - The White House on Wednesday warned Egypt over a "campaign of arrests" against opposition members ahead of key local elections, saying the crackdown threatened the integrity of the April vote.
"We call on the government of Egypt to cease any actions that would compromise the ability of the Egyptian people to fully exercise their internationally recognized human rights and to participate in a free and fair election," said spokesperson Dana Perino.
Egypt's government has recently intensified its crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood - the largest and most organized opposition group in the country - ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for April 08.
Hundreds of members have been arrested in recent weeks, including senior leader Mahmud Ghozlan on Thursday.
Muslim Brotherhood members protest
Perino said: "We are concerned by a continuing campaign of arrests in Egypt of individuals who are opponents of the current governing party and are involved in the upcoming local elections.
"The people of Egypt should be permitted to choose freely among competing candidates."
Perino spoke after members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated Sunday against government attempts to block members from registering their candidacy in the elections.
An Egyptian security official put the number at 5 000, while the Muslim Brotherhood put it at 10 000.
"For a fifth day running since the registration process began, our members' papers have not been accepted, with security forces surrounding the buildings allowing only members of the (ruling) National Democratic Party to register," the Brotherhood said on its website.
The Brotherhood says the crackdown aims to block another election success after 2005 parliamentary polls in which the group won a fifth of seats through members standing as independents.