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| Egypt opposition boycotts polls | Egypt opposition boycotts polls |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood group says it will boycott municipal elections after being allowed to field 20 candidates for thousands of seats. | Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood group says it will boycott municipal elections after being allowed to field 20 candidates for thousands of seats. |
| Deputy leader Mohammed Habib said the move was in response to the government's "disregard for justice". | Deputy leader Mohammed Habib said the move was in response to the government's "disregard for justice". |
| The authorities have carried out a wide-ranging crackdown ahead of Tuesday's vote, leaving many candidates behind bars or unable to register. | The authorities have carried out a wide-ranging crackdown ahead of Tuesday's vote, leaving many candidates behind bars or unable to register. |
| International groups have condemned the crackdown against the opposition. | International groups have condemned the crackdown against the opposition. |
| President Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party has candidates for all 52,000 seats, and will be unopposed in 90% of them, party sources say. | President Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party has candidates for all 52,000 seats, and will be unopposed in 90% of them, party sources say. |
| Correspondents say Egyptian municipal elections are rarely marked by controversy, but this year's poll is the first since a constitutional amendment in 2005 which required presidential candidates to secure the backing of local councillors. | |
| Other opposition groups complained of obstruction by the government, ranging from bureaucratic hurdles to assaults at registration stations. | |
| More than 800 members of the Muslim Brotherhood group have been arrested in recent weeks. | |
| The Brotherhood says the government is eager to avoid another electoral setback after pro-Islamist independents won 20% of seats in the last parliament. | |
| The group is officially banned in Egypt, although its activities have been broadly tolerated. Candidates for elections stand as independents. |