Salafist Nour Party to run in parliamentary elections

Ahram Online, Monday 25 Feb 2013

The hardline Nour Party will run in Egypt's upcoming parliamentary elections, and calls on other political forces to do the same

Bassam
Member of Salafist Al-Nour Party Bassam El-Zarqa (Photo: Al-Ahram)

Deputy head of the Salafist Nour Party Bassam El-Zarqa announced on Monday that his party will stand in the parliamentary elections, which are due to start on 22 April.

He further called on other political groups to run in the electoral race, but said that his party had no intention of allying with other Islamist groups.

In a statement to the press, Galal El-Morra, secretary-general of Nour Party, demanded the implementation of guarantees that will ensure the transparency of the parliamentary elections, and called for a dialogue between political forces to agree on the means of ensuring the fairness of the electoral process.

Several figures of the opposition have voiced their intention to boycott the parliamentary elections, including founder of the Constitution Party Mohamed ElBaradei who described the coming parliamentary poll as an act of "deception."

Founder of the Egyptian Popular Current Hamdeen Sabbahi also announced that his group will be boycotting the elections.

Opposition umbrella group the National Salvation Front, led by both Sabbahi and ElBaradei, will announce its stance regarding the elections on Tuesday.

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