Nader Bakkar (Photo: Al-Ahram)
Rumours that the Muslim Brotherhood was behind the Salafist Nour Party's recent internal conflict are false, a party spokesperson has said.
Speaking on the private CBC television channel, Nader Bakkar blamed outside elements for attempting to destroy the party but denied the Brotherhood was involved.
"The Brotherhood has been found innocent more than once of being behind the crisis in the Nour Party. And rumours that Khairat El-Shater [Brotherhood deputy chairman] was involved are absolutely false. Anyone perpetuating this rumour is trying to damage Islamists in general, whether Salafists or the Brotherhood."
The party had been able to resolve its differences, he added, unlike other parties that had recently experienced divisions.
"We reached a consensus where each of the conflicting factions in the party made concessions and gave up certain positions they had held during the crisis."
In addition, Bakkar said elections for the party's Supreme Committee would take place soon, followed by a leadership ballot.
The Nour Party announced on Saturday that it had resolved its internal differences. The situation had reached a dramatic climax on Wednesday when the party's Supreme Committee withdrew confidence from leader Emad Abdel-Ghafour and appointed El-Sayed Mostafa Hussein Khalifa in his place.
Abdel-Ghafour and his supporters – known as the 'Reformist Front' within the party – retaliated by calling for the dismissal of the Supreme Committee, including Bakkar, via the party's official Twitter account.
The Supreme Committee convened on 1 October without Abdel-Ghafour and with Khalifa as the recognised head, and reiterated its decision to hold elections on schedule and to withdraw confidence from Abdel-Ghafour.
The official reason given for the sacking of Abdel-Ghafour was his acceptance of a position on Mohamed Morsi's presidential team.
Abdel-Ghafour had previously demanded that internal polls be postponed until Egypt's new parliament is elected, thereby safeguarding his position until the end of the year. Abdel-Ghafour and his supporters have filed a lawsuit to halt the Nour Party elections.
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