Four dead in last round of violent Egyptian vote
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-08 09:02

RUBBER BULLETS AND STONES

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at angry would-be voters, who hurled stones at police blocking their way, Reuters witnesses said in several areas. Rights groups and medical sources reported dozens of injuries.

The state news agency MENA reported three deaths but did not give details on how they were killed. It said two men were killed around the Mediterranean town of Damietta, where demonstrators hurled petrol bombs at police, witnesses said.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) said up to eight died in clashes. Another group said the toll was six.

The United States has toughened its previously mild criticism of the conduct of the vote after a month of clashes.

"We've seen a number of developments over the past couple of weeks during the parliamentary elections that raise serious concerns about the path of liberal reform in Egypt," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said on Tuesday.

About 11,000 judicial personnel were monitoring the vote, which was staggered to ensure judicial supervision. But judges in polling stations complained that they were powerless to prevent security men from barring voters.

In the Nile Delta town of Badawi, one of the seats where the Brotherhood was competing against Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP), a Reuters witness saw several people hurt by rubber bullets, which caused bruising and bleeding to some.

Mohamed Foda, 22, bleeding from his head, told Reuters: "They didn't let us vote. People got angry and started throwing rocks. The police fired tear gas and rubber bullets."

In the Delta town of Zagazig, police prevented about 200 veiled women from voting. Men in civilian clothes stood on the top of one polling station, which was surrounded by riot police, and pelted Brotherhood supporters below with stones.

As polling stations officially closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT), many residents retreated to their homes as police patrolled streets strewn with stones.