Egyptian parties refuse politician Ayman Nour at Beirut youth conference

Ahram Online, Sunday 16 Nov 2014

The Conference Party's Salah Hasaballah said Ayman Nour is pro-Muslim Brotherhood and against the will of Egyptians

A number of Egyptian parties attended on Saturday the Arab Liberal Youth Organisation conference in Beirut on the condition that Ayman Nour, an Egyptian presidential candidate from 2005, not attend.

Salah Hasaballah, deputy head of the Conference Party, told Ahram Online that Nour is "against the will of Egyptians and provokes the people with sentiments in favour of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood".

The Brotherhood, from which ousted president Mohamed Morsi hails, was labeled a terrorist organisation by the government last December.

Hasaballah said the Egyptian delegation didn't mind the presence of Nour's party, Ghad Al-Thawra, as long as the party denounces his actions.

"But if the [Ghad El-Thawra Party] announces its support to Nour as a party leader or any such thing, then we'll have a reserved position on the party," he added.

Nour, who is currently not residing in Egypt, didn't attend the conference. He wasn't immediately available for comment. However, he tweeted on his official Twitter account that his party attended the conference.

Nour has been an opponent of the 30 June 2013 protests that eventually led to Morsi's ouster. Although Nour was a member of the National Salvation Front (NSF), an opposition coalition against Morsi, he was the only NSF member to engage in dialogue with the ousted president.

Nour also showed readiness in February 2012 to head Morsi's cabinet.

As for the conference, Hasaballah said youth from the Conference Party attended the conference to represent liberal civil parties that maintain Egyptian traditions and customs.

At the conference, the Conference Party's youth called for unity for Egypt's youth and Arab youth as a whole.

A number of Arab political parties participated in the conference, including Lebanese Al-Mostaqbal Party and Egypt's Free Egyptians Party.

The youth organisation is part of the Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy.
 

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