Two prominent Muslim Brotherhood candidates in the coastal city of Alexandria have been facing serious challenges since polling stations opened this morning, eyewitnesses and Muslim Brotherhood (MB) members report.

Brotherhood sources said Sobhy Saleh, the MB candidate in Ramleh district, was beaten by unidentified armed thugs and transferred to hospital for treatment.

Saleh is competing against Alexandria’s iconic figure, Abdel Salam Mahgoub, Minister of Administrative Development and former governor of the coastal city.

In Minya al-Basal District, Hamdy Hassan, the Brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc spokesperson in the outgoing parliament, has allegedly been under attack from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP)’s candidate, Abdel Halim Allam.

Authorities barred four of the group’s candidates in Alexandria where the Brotherhood managed to secure a sweeping majority in the 2005 parliamentary elections.

Further to the west, influential real estate developer and NDP candidate, Tarek Talaat Mustafa, seems likely to win Sidi Gaber’s seat in parliament, local campaigners said.

Election monitors meanwhile are voicing concern about their inability to properly carry out transparent supervision of the elections. 

“They banned us from entering polling stations although we have the required permits,” said Mohamed Fawzy, an election monitor.