Egyptian Voters Impeded In Opposition Strongholds

A woman stands in front of policemen blocking the entrance to a polling station in Giza, Egypt. Residents in opposition areas complained of authorities turning them away during elections for parliament's upper house. (Associated Press)

"They told me there was no electricity," Khamil said. Finally, "They told me, 'No, we're not letting anyone in today,' and closed the door with chains."

Officials turned away Himida, who was registered to vote in Awseem, from the polling center, telling him no voting was taking place there. The polling center was blocked by security forces.

Mohammed Shahed stood in the door of his grocery store on a brick-faced alley lined with Brotherhood posters that were all but obliterated by thick dousings of red paint.

Shahed had always voted before, even when security forces tried to turn him back, he said. "Since they lifted judicial supervision" with the March constitutional changes, "I decided it's no use. I know that unless there are judicial officials there, there are no elections in fact."

Turnouts in Egypt generally are low, in part owing to Egyptians' doubts that their votes matter.

Egypt's government and others in the Middle East fear that movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood will win power through the ballot box by appealing to voters who want more religiously observant governments and who resent the reigns of entrenched leaders.

Mubarak's government has arrested about 800 Brotherhood members in recent months. Many were arrested since campaigning began for the upper house, known as the Shura Council. Brotherhood leaders have insisted on retaining the slogan "Islam is the solution." Under the new constitutional changes, security forces have arrested some Brotherhood members as they erected banners or tried to register.

Brotherhood members charge that the ruling party's use of an Islamic crescent as one of its party symbols, as well as references in the constitution to Islam, also violates the new constitutional changes.

Rights organizations and many ordinary Egyptians have accused President Bush of backing away from calls made by past U.S. administrations for democratic reforms here. Egypt is one of the United States' main allies in the Middle East.

Bush spoke out on behalf of Egyptian dissidents at a speech in Prague last week, saying he regretted that one former Egyptian government official now in jail in Egypt could not attend the function. He listed Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as countries that "have a great distance still to travel" in making democratic reforms.

"America has let us down," said Salah Noman Mubarak, a 54-year-old plant technician in Alexandria, who along with all other Brotherhood candidates was kept from the ballot in that city. "I have always respected the United States, but the United States since the time of Roosevelt has let us down," the candidate said. "Especially these days.''