The United States says it objects to a planned move by Egypt to postpone local elections for two years.
A State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said Tuesday that Washington will raise the issue with Cairo. He said that as a matter of principle, the United States does not favor postponing elections.
Egypt's upper house of parliament Sunday approved a decree from President Hosni Mubarak for a two-year extension to the term of local councils, most of which are dominated by members of the ruling National Democratic Party. Its passage through the lower house this week is almost certain.
The banned Muslim Brotherhood says the move is an effort to block its allies from capturing more local council seats, after gains in recent parliamentary elections.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
