Zeenews Bureau
Cairo: Mohamed ElBaradei, Egypt’s National Salvation Front, has called for the boycott of the upcoming upcoming parliamentary, terming it as ‘an act of deception’, as per a CNN report.
A tweet by ElBaradei stated, "Called for parliamentary election boycott in 2010 to expose sham democracy. Today I repeat my call, will not be part of an act of deception," the report states.
The reaction from the opposition leader came after Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi announced the date for the first post-constitution parliamentary elections to be held from April.
Mursi announced that the vote will take place in four stages due to a shortage of election supervisors. The new Parliament will convene on July 6.
The election process will take place in four stages, April 27-28, May 15-16 and June 2-3 and 19-20, according to the official decree released by the president`s spokesman, Yassir Ali. Runoffs will be held one week after each stage.
In the past year, violent clashes in the coastal province along the Suez Canal have highlighted the longstanding resentment residents there feel towards Cairo. Both Port Said and Cairo are included in the first round of voting.
Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement hope the election will put an end to increasingly vocal opposition and street protests, experts said.
The Islamist-dominated Parliament was dissolved last June after judges ruled election laws were unconstitutional.
The election call comes at time of deep political crisis which has divided the country into two groups, one supporting political Islamists and another opposing it.
