Main Opposition Backs Out of Egypt's Run Off Polls

Main Opposition Backs Out of Egypt's Run Off Polls

Egypt 's main opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood says it is withdrawing its candidates from the election run-off on Sunday.

The Islamist movement, which is banned but runs candidates as independents, failed to win a single seat in the first round.

It claims the election was rigged in favour of President Hosni Mubarak's governing NDP party.

The liberal Wafd opposition party is also said to be quitting the election.

A party statement said the election was marred by forgery and violence, and described the process as ‘scandalous.

A report quotes a Brotherhood source as saying that the movement's leader Mohammed Badie would confirm it was formally quitting the vote.

The NDP won nearly all the seats in the first round.

Wafd won two seats and was set to contest nine in the run-off. It had controlled 12 in the outgoing assembly and was expected to be the biggest opposition force in parliament.

Muslim Brotherhood candidates held 88 seats in the last assembly and were due to contend more than 20 in the next round.

Following the first round, Egyptian media carried images and testimonies of mass faked ballots and voters being intimidated at polling stations.

Protests by opposition supporters have since erupted across the country.

About 42 million voters were eligible to cast ballots but a coalition of human rights groups suggests turnout was only 10-15% .

BBC/Yinka