Democracy takes root in Egypt

Cairo: Amr Mousa, a front-runner for Egypt's presidency, said yesterday the strong Islamist showing in the first parliamentary election since army generals replaced Hosni Mubarak in February had to be swallowed as democracy in action.

The Muslim Brotherhood has also urged its rivals to "accept the will of the people" after a first-round vote set its party on course to take the most seats in parliament, with a hardline Salafist Islamist party thrusting liberals into third place. Overall election results suggest Islamist parties, while not united, may wield a two-thirds majority in parliament.

In line with the Brotherhood's pragmatic image, the group's Freedom and Justice party may avoid lining up with its ultra-conservative Islamist rivals.

Power struggle

But its popular mandate will strengthen its hand in any power struggle with the military over Egypt's political future.

"I am happy about the application of the democratic process, the beginning of democracy," said Mousa, a former Mubarak-era foreign minister and secretary-general of the Arab League.

"You cannot have democracy and then amend or reject the results," he told Reuters by telephone, adding that the shape of parliament would not be clear until the voting was over.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's best-organised political group and popular with the poor for its decades of charity work, was banned but semi-tolerated under Mubarak. It now wants to shape a new constitution to be drawn up next year.

That could be the focus of a power struggle with the ruling military council, which wants to keep a presidential system, rather than the parliamentary one favoured by the Brotherhood.

"I believe the constitutional debate will be a very serious and tough one. I don't think any party can impose its own language or principles," Mousa said. "The constitution will have to be the outcome of consensus and general debate among the people. The liberal camp is also strong."

The constitution, to be written by a constituent assembly chosen by parliament, may go to a referendum before a presidential election in June, under an accelerated timetable for a handover to civilian rule.