VIABLE OPPOSITION:

Egypt's Islamists arrested but gain seats (Dan Murphy and Sameh Naguib, 11/22/05, CS Monitor)

[T]hough voter intimidation and corruption in Egyptian elections is hardly unusual, the results so far are surprising. The banned but partially tolerated Brotherhood has at least tripled its presence in parliament with one more round of voting to go. Though the Brotherhood's presence in parliament will likely be small - at most 20 percent of the seats after the final round on Nov. 30 - its gains come as the secular opposition has fallen apart.

The strength of the Brotherhood (its motto is "Islam is the solution") appears to confirm the warnings of political scientists who predicted the regime's tight controls on formal political parties, coupled with the Brotherhood's ability to get around restrictions with its mosque and charity-based outreach, would leave the Islamist opposition as the only viable political alternative in the eyes of voters.

Forcing the Mubaraks to respond to the concens of Egyptians is all to the good.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 21, 2005 6:04 PM