US says Egypt needs to fix election problems soon

The United States says Egyptians can gain full confidence in their country's electoral "only when the government is able to address existing laws and ensure full and transparent access by independent civil society monitors and candidate representatives."

State Department spokeswoman Megan Mattson did not specify fraud or other infractions in voting that the government said gave President Hosni Mubarak's party a sweeping victory.

She said, "We hope that all necessary improvements will be made swiftly to ensure that future elections are free and fair.

Mattson also noted that "the higher electoral commission in Egypt now has responsibility to undertake investigations into alleged election violations" and the courts also have received complaints.