The institute had
been supported by EU funds and had tried to promote political awareness
and participation in national elections among the Egyptian population (see
Khaled Dawoud, ‘The State versus Ibrahim’, Al-Ahram Weekly On-line,
22–28 February 2001, issue no. 522). After the opposition had forced the
government to implement a law stipulating that only judges and not gov-
ernment officials should supervise the elections, supporters of the ruling
National Democratic Party (NDP) tried to interfere in various towns. In
spite of its unpopularity the party had formerly won around 90 per cent of
the seats compared to only 38 per cent of the 454 seats in the elections of
2000, which were the first held under judicial supervision – though it may
not have been complete. However, of the 256 ‘independent’ candidates who
had won seats, 218 joined the NDP immediately after the elections, so that
the party’s share rose to 85.5 per cent of all seats. Seventeen members of
the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood managed to be elected as ‘independents’.
Only sixteen seats went to members of opposition parties (G. Essam El-
Din, ‘Rank-and-file dissenters’, Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 23–29 November
2000, issue no. 509).