Bruxelles Méditerranée

US funding Some sources are delivering a figure of 165 mio. USD democracy and human rights assistance. “We told the Egyptians we’d take $165 million and provide it directly to the people who were out there demonstrating and to the organizations involved in the Arab uprising,” a senior USAID official told VOA [1] . The agency has already distributed about $63 million to Egyptian pro-democracy groups.  About 86% of the funding has gone to US based organisations like NDI and IRI to help bolster political parties ahead of parliamentary elections expected in November. On the other hand, data available from official sources and research organisations differ sensibly: On the Foreign Assistance Dashboard [2] for example, figures are shown as follows: 2011 figures:   peace and security: 1,300 Mio USD, Democracy, HR and governance: 25 Mio USD, health: 15 Mio USD, Education and social services: 91 Mio USD, Economic development: 119 Mio USD. 2012 figures (prevision): peace and secur...

Egypt's main opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, said on Saturday it is gathering evidence of vote rigging and other violations in last month's parliamentary elections and will alert international human rights groups. More.

Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, former director of the International Agency for Atomic Energy compares the NDP party to the Russian Duma in the Soviet era, and said that the recent election was a farce. He refused to participate in their making.  These elections and the current situation in Egyp is the worst in 29 years of Mubarak's ruling. Egyopt is part of the "failed states" and is compared to countries such as Haiti, Burma and Sudan. "The Egyptians have insisted more than ever to put an end to the current situation, as they are more courageous and daring than ever before, also showed a system that can deal with that, it has become more violent and the proportion of arrests, which led to the escalation of the conflict. " The plan of Mohammad ElBaradei is to group the Muslim Brotherhood with the the National Association of Change that he leads, for the best of democratic change. (original article in Arabic - al doustour)

President Hosni Mubarak has been re-elected to the top job after his ruling party swept to a huge win in the second round of Egypt’s parliamentary elections. However, both major opposition parties boycotted the elections amid allegations of fraud. (France 24)

Egypt's top two opposition movements pulled out of parliamentary elections yesterday, citing widespread fraud, after they were all but shut out in Sunday's first round of voting. The move by the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the strongest opposition force in the country, and the secular liberal Wafd party, is a blow to the country's efforts to portray itself as a democracy. Egypt's government has staunchly defended the fairness of the first-round vote, despite reports of rampant rigging to favour the ruling party, President Hosni Mubarak's NDP. (The Independant)

Egypt has shut down more private television channels in the latest crackdown on media ahead of next month's crucial parliamentary elections. (Al arabiya)