Opposition to Boycott Runoff Election

December 2, 2010 Updated: October 1, 2015

Mohammed Badie (L), the head of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, holds a press conference.  (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)
Mohammed Badie (L), the head of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, holds a press conference. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)
Egypt’s largest opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, declared on Wednesday that it will boycott next Sunday’s runoff election, withdrawing all 27 candidates.

The Islamic party failed to retain a single one of its 62 seats in last weekend’s parliamentary elections and accused the ruling National Democratic Party of widespread fraud. In the Dec. 5 election the Muslim Brotherhood was to fight to keep its remaining 26 seats. The NDP won almost 95 percent of seats in a bigger than expected sweep.

Brotherhood chairman, Mohammed Badie, made the announcement in a televised address and on their website.

White House expressed concern about reports of electoral irregularities that “call into question the fairness and transparency of the process,” said a State Department spokesman on Monday. The NDP condemned the United States for interfering in the internal affairs of the country.