Egypt's Ruling Generals Ban Foreign Election Monitors

Activists and rights groups worry that the military council won't relinquish power after the upcoming elections.

Egyptian citizens are concerned that the ruling military council's decision to ban foreign observers from this autumn's parliamentary election will lead to more of the heavy-handedness they had dealt with for decades under Hosni Mubarak. The generals said allowing foreigners monitor the election would compromise Egypt's sovereignty, which rights groups say is the same kind of tactic Mubarak used during his reign to neuter elections of any value. The elections, which stand to give Egypt its first truly democratic government in its history, will be overseen by independent Egyptian judges. Ongoing protests in Tahrir Square have already won a concession from the generals this week by getting them to install a new cabinet, yet fears persist that that the council won't cede power after the elections.