Al-Nour Party formally announced its participation in the 50-member assembly tasked to finalise an amended draft constitution.
The influential Salafi party made its announcement in a Wednesday press conference following a meeting with media advisor to the presidency Ahmed El-Moslimany, who joined the Chairman of Al-Nour Party Younis Makhyoun, vice-chairman Bassam Al-Zarqa, Ashraf Thabet and other leading party figures.
Makhyoun confirmed that his party, the second-most successful party in the last People’s Assembly elections, would participate in the amending of the constitution despite the party’s objections to aspects of the preliminary draft and the panel of ten legal experts that was responsible for it, slamming its lack of transparency and narrow field of expertise.
“Our priority at this stage is the realisation of stability and the return of calm to the Egyptian streets,” said Makhyoun, who called on all parties to work peacefully together. He called on police to refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters, also calling on protesters to express opinions in a peaceful manner. He also called for investigations into violent events that have taken place, including the dispersal of sit-ins and the death of 37 prisoners at Abo Zaabal prison.
“There are conspiracies to attack the Egyptian army,” said the party chairman. “Those who carry them out are traitors.” He also condemned insults against Al-Azhar.
Al-Nour Party is the only major Islamist political party to announce participation in the upcoming constituent assembly of 50, and had previously refrained from formally participating in demonstrations for and against ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
The group first announced its intention to participate in a statement on Sunday, saying it would seek to defend articles that “represent a true reflection of the identity of the Egyptian people.”
