Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s 17 members of parliament (or People’s Assembly) walked out Saturday from a session after their colleagues turned down a proposed statement.
According to a report by Abu Dhabi satellite channel, the Islamists suggested that the National Democratic ruling party-dominated parliament issue a statement condemning the Israeli aggression in the Palestinian lands and Lebanon.
The opposition group is banned in Egypt, but its members ran independently for the parliamentary seats in October and November last year, winning 17 out of the 454 seats.
Meanwhile, three prominent leaders of the Brotherhood were arrested while on their way to register their candidacy for the Shura council May 16 elections, said the station.
Tareq Zardaq, a member of the Permanent Congress for Political Parties, confirmed the arrest, adding that the authorities declined to reveal any information on the arrest.
He said that the Islamist group and other opposition activists were using “democratic channels” to protest the detention of the three.
The opposition parties accused the authorities during the last parliamentary elections of barring voters from reaching the ballots.
This led to riots in which one person was killed and dozens injured in the clashes between security forces and supporters of opposition candidates during the elections in northern and middle Egypt.
However in the previous parliamentary elections held in 1995, violence between the government and opposition supporters left 87 people dead and more than 1,500 injured –Albawaba.com
