Egypt holds 148 more suspects in election violence

CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) -- Egyptian prosecutors on Monday remanded in custody 148 people suspected of involvement in clashes with police during parliamentary elections, security sources said.

The suspects were held after disturbances on Saturday in the northern district of Daqahliya during a runoff vote for seats in the second round of Egypt's three-stage polls.

Public prosecutors have now remanded in custody a total of 204 people, after ordering on Sunday the detention for 15 days of 56 people pending investigations into clashes in the neighboring district of Gharbia.

About two dozen more arrests were made in Daqahliya on Monday, but the men have yet to appear before prosecutors, the sources said.

Four people died during Saturday's vote, bringing to five the number of people killed in election violence so far. One person was killed and 60 injured in fighting between police and Islamic supporters in the first round vote last month.

The election-related violence is relatively limited compared with a death toll of at least 60 in the 1995 poll, the most violent in recent Egyptian history.

The third-round vote for a final 160 seats in the 454-member People's Assembly is on Wednesday. President Hosni Mubarak appoints a further 10 members of the chamber.

His ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) is on course for an overwhelming victory, though Islamics have gained a surprise 14 seats so far despite complaints of police harassment.

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