Shura vote rigged, Muslim Brotherhood says

CAIRO, June 1 (UPI) -- The Egyptian Interior Ministry has crossed legal lines in its harassment of opposition candidates, the Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday.

Egyptians trickled to the polls Tuesday to vote for members of the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament. There are 178 open seats on the 264-member advisory body. The 88 remaining seats are appointed by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The Muslim Brotherhood announced in May that 12 of its members were approved to run in Tuesday's election.

The group said Tuesday it held Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party responsible for deliberate corruption of the poll, it announced through its Ikwanweb news service

Members of the opposition group singled out the Interior Ministry for going against presidential pledges for a free and transparent election.

The group said that despite the pledges, it was unlikely its members would win as military leaders and rivals in the ruling National Democratic Party would prevent them from scoring votes.

Security forces were seen prevented voters from entering polling stations, using live ammunition to drive crowd away in some provinces, the Muslim Brotherhood said.

The group added that widespread corruption plagued most of the voting Tuesday.