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Islamist parties poised to gain parliamentary majority in Egypt

Following an unexpectedly large turnout, Egypt’s election commission announced Thursday a delay in final results for the first-round of parliamentary elections while judges monitoring the count said Islamist parties are poised to gain a parliamentary majority.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAIRO, Egypt — Following an unexpectedly large turnout, Egypt’s election commission announced Thursday a delay in final results for the first-round of parliamentary elections while judges monitoring the count said Islamist parties are poised to gain a parliamentary majority.

The political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest and best organized group, could take as much as 45 per cent of the seats being contested. The Egyptian bloc coalition of liberal parties and the ultra-fundamentalist Nour party were competing for second place, the judges said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the count remains incomplete.

Together, Islamist parties would have a majority, which could allow them to steer the long-secular U.S. ally in a more religiously conservative direction. Egypt would follow Tunisia and Morocco, where Islamist parties have won majorities in parliament since the outbreak of this year’s Arab Spring uprisings. Islamist parties present themselves as better able to rule justly than the region’s long-serving dictators, who often rule with Western support.

This week’s balloting, which covered nine of Egypt’s 27 provinces, was the first of six stages of elections that will be held through March to choose the first parliament following Mubarak’s ouster in a popular uprising in February. The extent of the power of the new legislature remains uncertain.

The Supreme Council of the Armed forces, a group of 20 generals that took control of the country when Mubarak fell, has made moves to preserve its vast legislative and executive power.

But the Muslim Brotherhood will likely challenge the military on the issue, and high voter turn out in the elections could give it a stronger popular mandate to push for civilian rule.

Brotherhood leaders have already said they will lead coalition government after the vote

The military has other plans. Last week, military leader Hussein Tantawi hand-picked a Mubarak-era prime minister to head the next government. Kamal el-Ganzouri, who served under Mubarak between 1996-99, has yet to form a government and it is difficult to imagine that he will only serve in that position for three months.

State media said el-Ganzouri was meeting Thursday with candidates to hold ministerial positions in the new government, expected Saturday.

El-Ganzouri also said the military council is the only body able to appoint a new government — a comment likely to further enflame accusations that his government is a mere front for continued military rule.