Fundamentalists' win confirms worst fears of Egypt's secularists

THE TRIUMPH of Muslim fundamentalists in the first round of Egypt’s first genuine multiparty parliamentary election has confirmed the worst fears of secular and Christian Egyptians dreaming of democracy and raised the hopes of devout conservatives for a regime reflecting religious values.

Although expected to give final results yesterday, Egypt’s election commissioner Abdel-Mooaez Ibrahim proclaimed only that the turnout was an unprecedented 62 per cent and announced results of contests among individual candidates. However, figures leaked from the commission revealed the positions of key parties and blocs.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, is projected to have won 40 per cent of the 168 seats in the nine governorates participating in this round; the ultra-orthodox Salafi Noor Party 30 per cent; and the liberal Egyptian Bloc 20 per cent. This last, composed of the leftist Tagammu Party, the Socialist Democratic Party and the Free Egyptians founded by Coptic Christian telecom magnate Naguib Sawiris, topped Egypt’s oldest party, the secular Wafd.

Secular revolutionaries who mounted the uprising early this year were eliminated altogether.

Runoffs to settle undecided contests will take place next week.

Two more rounds of voting for the remaining 330 lower house seats are scheduled during December and early January in the other 18 governorates, while balloting for the upper house will be held in late January.

The fundamentalists’ success could encourage even larger numbers of their supporters to vote in coming rounds. Although the fear of fundamentalist ascendancy has already forced competing secular parties and blocs to get together, many secular voters could boycott the polls in the belief that their votes will not count.

In a bid to alleviate fears among secularists and Christians, Freedom and Justice has said it will not form a parliamentary coalition with radical Noor, which seeks to impose Islamic law. The former said it would work with liberals to achieve consensus.

Anticipating the outcome of the first round, Freedom and Justice chairman Muhammad Morsi has declared the new parliament should form the government. This amounted to a direct challenge to the military council, which has exercised executive power since president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in mid-February.

The party has also made it clear it will demand strong representation on the commission established to draft a new constitution, although the military insists it will appoint 80 of its 100 members.

If Freedom and Justice sticks to this line, it could defy expectations that it plans to partner the military in government and instead do battle with the generals. Many believe it is determined to retain ultimate authority even after the new legislature is installed, a constitution ratified, and a president inaugurated. In this battle, the party would have the backing of liberals and revolutionaries.

Once in government, the party will be expected by the brotherhood’s largely working class and peasant voters to deliver clean government, improved social services, a higher minimum wage, and better schools. If it fails, its traditional supporters could very well gravitate towards the Salafis, who surfaced as a coherent political force only after the fall of Mr Mubarak and, therefore, have not raised high expectations, as has Freedom and Justice.

Hours before the election results were announced, thousands marched into Cairo’s Tahrir Square to protest military rule and to stage mock funerals to honour the 43 “martyrs” killed in clashes ahead of the election. Across town several hundred military supporters denounced the gathering in Tahrir Square.