News Analysis: Stability raises concern ahead of historic elections in Egypt

News Analysis: Stability raises concern ahead of historic elections in Egypt
Recent protests and disagreements over the decision to allow the remnants of the former ruling party to run in elections have raised fresh concerns about the stability of the country ahead of its historic vote later this month.

In the northern Damietta province, thousands of people demonstrated for the past few days over the construction of a chemical plant. The protests caused clashes, which Egyptian media said left one killed and more than ten injured, in addition to the blockage of the city's main roads and port. In Upper Egypt, a recent tribal conflict between two families reportedly left three dead.

Another protest is being planned for Friday by youth groups and political parties over different subjects, such as the supra- principles of the future constitution and calls for military rulers to hand over power to civilian rule as soon as possible.

After the massive protests which ended President Hosni Mubarak' s 30-year rule in February, Egypt has witnessed disorder featuring strikes and sit-ins and security problems.

"Every day, we hear about bullying incidents, weapon smuggling that spread after the revolution, which is the main reason behind such incidents," said Foad Allam, a security expert who once served for the country's state security apparatus.

"Any revolution is always followed by security vacuum, but disorder now is in a dire need to be controlled, otherwise the parliamentary elections will be bloody conflicts, especially because of the spread of weapons," Allam warned in an interview with Xinhua.

"The latest incidents in the governorates get the situation ahead of the parliamentary elections more complicated, and these riots will be used to serve the interest of some candidates," Sief el-Yazel, head of Gomhoureya Center for Security and Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.

To make the situation more flaming, Egypt's Higher Administrative Court issued a ruling Monday to allow the members of the dissolved National Democratic Party (NDP) to compete in the upcoming parliament elections, which stirred up fresh opposition amid activists and opposition forces.

"Boycott the non-transparent, null elections," read a sentence by activists on the walls of Cairo's center streets. "We are against the NDP share in the elections, " said Ramy Swesy, a member of the April 6 youth movement, one of the major groups who had organized protests earlier this year.

The NDP was dissolved in April by court. Many parties and youth groups have been urging a ban on the members of the former ruling party in the elections. However, members of the NDP which had an estimated three million members during Mubarak's rule are believed to have submitted candidacy applications either on the list of other parties or new parties they established, or as independents.

"All the state forces have to reach a comprehensive vision to the security of the elections, and the supreme military council should issue legislation regarding this course," said Allam.

Yazel suggested the supreme military council should take measures to control weapon smuggling and reinforce police presence in the streets.

"The police and the armed forces have to exert their efforts to arrest smugglers, get back the prestige of the police in the Egyptian streets and catch those who have unlicensed weapons," said Yazel.

Egypt's Interior Minister Mansour el-Essawy said on Tuesday that the ministry will deal strictly with any attempt to violate the legitimacy during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Egyptians are bracing for their historic parliamentary elections on Nov. 28 with the date of presidential polls still unclear.

Editor: yan

English.news.cn   2011-11-17 01:12:20 FeedbackPrintRSS
By Shaimaa Behery, Li Laifang

CAIRO, Nov.16 (Xinhua)