Strong Turnout in Egypt Vote as Muslim Brotherhood Targets Junta’s Rule

With Islamists Claiming Strong Victory in First Round, Junta Faces Growing Criticism

by Jason Ditz, December 02, 2011

The election results from the first round of the convoluted parliamentary election system in Egypt continue to trickle in, but with a 62 percent turnout the results are much as they were claimed yesterday, an overwhelming victory for the two Islamist factions.

The bigger of the two parties, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, has secured around 40 percent of the vote so far, and looks to play a decisive role in Egypt’s first freely elected parliament.

Their top priority, according to their leadership, is to end the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAR) dominance of the country, saying they want a return to civilian leadership as soon as possible and warning that the junta faces more major protests if they continue to cling to power.

The first round of voting covered nine of the country’s 27 provinces. The round is expected to last through January, and is just one of several sets of votes likely to be stagger over the next several years.

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