Europarlementariërs constateren intimidaties tijdens algemene verkiezingen in Egypte (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Four members of the European Parliament returning from an informal mission to Egypt have reported that serious violations were committed by Egyptian authorities during last week's parliamentary elections.

"We witnessed quite clear cases of intimidation from activists supported by the Egyptian government," conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott told EUobserver on Monday (14 November).

Mr McMillan-Scott said the Egyptian government, upset by the delegation's presence at the polling offices, had tried to obstruct their "fact-finding mission."

"The violent behaviour by a crowd of thugs _ was clearly organised against us, and aimed to intimidate supporters of opposition candidates," he said.

According to the member, on one occasion the delegation witnessed violence towards supporters of Dr Ayman Nour, an Egyptian MP and liberal opposition leader who had strongly challenged the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in the country's first presidential election this autumn.

Spotlight on EU-Egyptian relations

The Egyptian government has refused to invite international observers to parliamentary elections despite recommendations from the Egyptian Human Rights Council, an NGO chaired by former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

International bodies monitoring elections, like the the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) or the UN, do not send observers without invitation from a country in which elections are to be held.

A spokesperson for the European Parliament's leadership, the conference of presidents, which authorised the delegation to Egypt, said that even though the UN or the OSCE did not send observers, there was "no reason for the EU not to do so, considering Egypt is part of the so-called EU neighbourhood policy and the European Mediterranean process, both programs of collaboration between the EU and its southern neighbours."

Mr McMillan-Scott denied that the mission could damage EU-Egyptian relations.

"We have a genuine dialogue with Egyptian authorities. The Egyptians are just super-sensitive about this matter," he said.

At the Egyptian embassy in Brussels, a spokesperson said there would be no comment from Egyptian officials before the delegation of MEPs to the election had issued a report on its findings.