Shaaban Abdel-Alim, member of the Salafist Nour Party's higher committee, denied on Monday that talks were underway between his party and the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party regarding a proposed alliance in upcoming parliamentary elections.
Senior FJP member Mahmoud Amer had previously stated that the FJP had opened negotiations with other parties – mainly the Nour Party – to discuss possible electoral alliances.
Amer also said that the FJP intended to contest 100 per cent of the seats in parliament in hopes of capturing half of them – or 60 per cent in the event that the FJP allied itself with another party.
Nour Party officials, however, dismiss reports that the two parties are in talks about a possible coalition.
"If it's true that the FJP is contesting 100 per cent of the seats, then we won't seek an alliance with them; all of the parties will contest the polls separately," said Nour's Abdel-Alim.
The FJP and the Nour Party together captured some three quarters of the seats in the People's Assembly (the lower house of parliament) in Egypt's first post-Mubarak parliamentary polls late last year. The assembly was later dissolved in June, however, by order of Egypt's military.
In last year's elections, the FJP and the Nour Party – Egypt's two leading Islamist parties – contested the polls separately.
According to recent constitutional changes made by President Mohamed Morsi, fresh parliamentary polls will be conducted two months after a new constitution is approved via popular referendum.
Short link: