Political groups shun Egyptian vote

Political groups in Egypt said they are upset that authorities are moving too quickly with their electoral schedule, adding they'll boycott Nov. 28 elections. Parliamentary elections are set for Nov. 28 in Egypt, nine months after the country's revolution brought an end to Hosni Mubarak's tenure after nearly 30 years in power. Tahani al-Gebali, vice president of the country's supreme constitutional court, said the political environment in post-Mubarak Egypt is in chaos. "Egypt is currently witnessing a state of political confusion due to a lack of consensus among national forces on the road map that was devised for the elections," he was quoted by Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm as saying. "And so the boycott seems plausible in theory." Amr Hashem Rabie, a democracy specialist at the al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said the real reason for the boycott may be because some political groups lack the experience needed to mount an effective campaign. "The new system does not suit those groups whose members are novice political activists. They can, however, publicize their opinions through different means other than the Parliament, such as protesting and campaigning," he said. Similar complaints were lodged after the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the most ingrained Islamist groups in Egypt, consolidated its political activity after the revolution by forming the Freedom and Justice Party.