The Muslim Brotherhood has said that more than 1,000 of its members and eight of its candidates have been arrested ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections. Over recent days the group’s supporters have clashed with security forces in several cities. The Muslim Brotherhood is banned from the elections but it bypasses restrictions by putting up their candidates as independents. This tactic proved successful in the 2005 elections and the brotherhood currently control a third of the seats in parliament. The arrests have been criticised as part of a wider government crackdown on opposition electioneering.