Liberals and left-wingers out of step with a thriving Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood has largely stayed out of anti-military protests in recent months to focus on the elections. The new, 508-seat parliament held its first session on Monday, with a Brotherhood leader sworn in as speaker. Liberals and independents won less than a tenth of the seats.

The Brotherhood has been outlawed for most of the 84 years since its inception, subject to repeated repressions by successive governments. Under Hosni Mubarak, hundreds of its members were jailed.

But liberal and left-wing groups maintain the revolution must continue until the last vestiges of Mubarak’s 29-year reign are purged, with those responsible for killing protesters brought to justice. Mubarak is already on trial, along with his former security chief and other security officers on such a charge. Mubarak and his two sons are also charged with corruption.