The Salafi-oriented Nour Party is not coordinating with the ruling military council and the Muslim Brotherhood to select a candidate for the upcoming presidential election, party chairman Emad Abdel Ghafour said Sunday.
He dismissed reports that the three had hoped to choose a consensus candidate, calling the reports rumors.
Speaking to scores of young Egyptian men at a public lecture organized by the National Council for Youth, Abdel Ghafour said his party hopes to communicate with potential candidates before settling on its favorite.
He called on young Egyptians to communicate with the constituent assembly to determine the role of different institutions in drafting the constitution, ensure the independence of the judiciary and pay attention to youth issues.
The Nour Party’s current priorities include achieving political reform as a main goal of the 25 January revolution, Abdel Ghafour said.
He said the first step toward that reform was the parliamentary elections, followed by the drafting of the new constitution and the presidential election.
The party seeks to develop tourism and expand its activities, Abdel Ghafour said, calling it an important means of communication between different societies and a major source of national income.
He denied allegations that his party intends to marginalize women and degrade their social position. He stressed that Islam grants women equality to men in terms of human dignity.
The party chairman stressed that the social participation of women should be enhanced. However, he said women should be exempted from work that subjects them to manipulation and degradation, as he put it.
Translated from MENA
