Muslim Brotherhood threatens to boycott election

Egypt's military leaders have been accused of plotting to ensure that the former president's loyalists are able to retain a significant portion of parliamentary. As a result, a coalition of Islamist and secular parties, including the Muslim Brother have begun planning a boycott of the November election, reports the Telegraph.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt have demanded that the ruling military council, which as been ruling Egypt since Mubarak stepped down in February, should insititude electoral reforms by this upcoming Sunday, or they will face mass boycotts on the streets, according to the Telegraph.

This is a new chapter in Egypt's history of secular opposition movements and the military generals governing the country.

Egypt's revolution was spared a lot of the the bloodshed that countries like Libya and Syria because of the army's role in the revolution. The army forced Mubarak to step down by blatantly refusing to shoot protestors, their close relationship to Mubarak while he was in power, has seemed suspicious to many, reports the AFP.

The election in November will be the first test for Egypt after the revolution and an opposition boycott could easily tip the country into violence, report observers.

According to the Telegraph here's the problem: 

The opposition coalition, which groups together 60 parties, has called for the lifting of a provision that prohibits parties from contesting one-third of the seats in parliament, reserving them instead for independent candidates who have traditionally been seen as shills of the Mubarak regime.
The coalition is also demanding the introduction of a law that could ban many former MPs with links to Mr Mubarak from standing for office for up to 10 years.

But, the Egyptian military has responded to the the threat against democracy and national security by releasing a statement on their Facebook Page, warning against "those who seek to impede the democratic transformation that began with the call for parliamentary elections." reports the AFP.

"Those who have called for the Friday (protest) bear the responsibility to organise and secure and protect all private and public property," SCAF said.
"Any encroachment on army units or camps or important establishments will be considered a threat to Egyptian national security and will be dealt with with the utmost firmness," SCAF said