# Article Washington Post



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

For months, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has focused single-mindedly on this moment — parliamentary elections beginning Monday that the fundamentalist group is expected to dominate. Now it may be a pyrrhic victory.

The Brotherhood stayed on the sidelines of this week's protests by secular liberal groups demanding the country's military rulers step down, hurting its image among key sectors of the Egyptian public who accuse the group of siding with the generals and selling out democracy demands to gain power.

By staying out of the protests, "the Brotherhood has made it clear that they want elections because they want the seat of power, no matter what that seat looks like," said Abdel-Jalil el-Sharnoubi, who once headed the Brotherhood's website until he quit the group earlier this year in frustration with its leadership.

Ever since the Feb. 11 fall of autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak, fears have been growing among some Egyptians that the country would take a strong turn toward Islamic fundamentalism.

The Brotherhood refused to join the rally out of fear they would swell out of control and delay the elections. On Tuesday, the Brotherhood and several smaller parties met with the generals of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and agreed to a compromise.

Under the deal, the military would form a new interim civilian government, parliamentary elections would go ahead on schedule, but presidential elections would be moved up to the end of June, after which the military would step aside.

The damage from staying out of Tahrir may not be heavy enough to set back the Brotherhood's election showing, given its powerful campaign machine. In one possible scenario, the violence in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in cities around the country could even benefit it. If turmoil reduces turnout at the polls, the Brotherhood's results could be inflated because its supporters are the most organized and will cast ballots in large numbers no matter what.

But the chaos will undermine the legitimacy of the vote, and the parliament that emerges will have a deeply damaged mandate. Many liberals already say the parliament won't be truly representative. Even if the Brotherhood and other Islamic parties gain the largest bloc or majority, they will have a difficult time pushing through any agenda at a time when divisions among all Egypt's factions have been enflamed by the past week's violence.

And the prize itself is not so sweet — a legislature and government under the shadow of the military, which will keep its overwhelming power at least until the end of June, after presidential elections are held. The military, as head of state, is attempting to take a major role in writing the next constitution, a process that parliament has expected to oversee.


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## Cairo Cathy (Nov 19, 2011)

MaidenScotland said:


> For months, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has focused single-mindedly on this moment — parliamentary elections beginning Monday that the fundamentalist group is expected to dominate. Now it may be a pyrrhic victory.
> 
> The Brotherhood stayed on the sidelines of this week's protests by secular liberal groups demanding the country's military rulers step down, hurting its image among key sectors of the Egyptian public who accuse the group of siding with the generals and selling out democracy demands to gain power.
> 
> ...


what is your comment? your view?


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## crewmeal (Aug 9, 2011)

A poisoned chalice. With so many different views no one party will be strong enough to bring everyone together.


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