Millions will boycott Egypt's elections

CAIRO — On Dec. 15, 2012, exactly 10 days after I witnessed Mohammed Morsi's supporters kill and torture their opposition in front of the presidential palace as the police and military watched silently, the Muslim Brotherhood's constitution was put to referendum. It passed by 63%, as millions boycotted.

The total turnout back then was 16.7 million out of 52 million registered voters, and if half the boycotters had voted no to the constitution they harshly criticized it would have easily lost — a result that could have tamed the arrogant Muslim Brotherhood movement and steered the wheel of Egyptian politics, which six months later witnessed Morsi's military-backed ouster and the country's tough plunge into further chaos and strife.

As we approach one more presidential election, millions seem to have not changed their minds or political tactics and are insisting on boycotting. The majority of boycotters this time are from the Muslim Brotherhood — with a 6 million solid voter front that endorsed Morsi in the first round of elections in 2012 — followed by the majority of Salafists, the revolutionary April 6 Movement and other sectors involving young people.

Despite the Muslim Brotherhood confirmation that it's boycotting the vote, unconfirmed reports quoting unnamed security officials claim that the Brotherhood is secretly planning to vote for Hamdeen Sabahi. Such reports are suspected of being an attempt to smear Sabahi by proposing his affiliation with the Brotherhood.