The countdown now hits days rather than weeks to the upcoming Egyptian parliamentary elections that will mark the last step of the country's protracted road map. Nevertheless, most of renowned political parties seem not ready to run for the electoral process, raising controversy about the future of the political life in Egypt. Following the Jan. 25 revolution, it was clear that Egypt lacked a powerful political party that could obtain the majority of parliament seats, paving the way to form its own government. This statue gave the chance for Islamist movements, including the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group as well as al-Nour Party, to appear on the scene as the strongest political powers that can rule the country. Al-Nour Al-Nour Salafist Party appears to be the only major party with a religious reference that has nominated affiliate candidates to run for the 2015 elections on both individual and list systems. It is not yet clear whether the party will ally with other political parties competing in the election or name non-member popular figures on its party lists. Al-Nour has effectively participated along with other parties to make up the country's political scene, when the army ousted former president Mohamed Morsi following anti-Muslim Brotherhood popular protests across the nation. The party's Chairman Younes Makhioun was present when the country's roadmap towards an Egypt without the Muslim Brotherhood in power was announced in July 3, 2013. The presence of the second biggest Islamic party in Egypt in a confrontation with the Muslim Brotherhood made those who thought that al-Nour was next on the political rejection hit list to change their mind, even for a while! Although the paths of al-Nour party and the Muslim Brotherhood split after Morsi ascended to the presidency, they both had benefited from the power vacuum after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February 11, 2011. After the 2012 parliamentary elections and the spark of al-Nour party as the second largest political group in parliament, the Muslim Brotherhood was forced to admit the need to collaborate with al-Nour in order to ensure the triumph of the so-called political Islam project. Al-Nour also needed the support of the Brotherhood during the period of preparing the 2013 constitution to ensure that Islamic Sharia (Islamic law) clauses are included. The result was that the Salafist leader, Yasser Borhami, described the constitution as the best ever document in Egypt's history and considered it a triumph for Islam. It was just a few months before the conflict erupted between al-Nour and the Brotherhood as the party opposed the full empowerment of the president, which was part of Morsi's constitutional declaration. Even though, when "Tamarod" launched its campaign against president Morsi, al-Nour reiterated their support of the president and his legitimacy and opposed the rebel campaign. Meanwhile, they launched an international campaign to present its credentials as a moderate substitute to the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Nour refrained from participating in any demonstrations, supporting or opposing the president and it refused to describe the June 30th demonstrations as being against the Islamic project, or as a war between believers and disbelievers. Al-Nour party and the Brotherhood agreed on the call for a fully-fledged Islamic state, supporting the Islamic project and opposing those who refused it. It seems clear that the conflict was not over the project itself but on the way it works. This situation makes al-Nour party presently opposing both sides of the conflict, caught in an uncertain political moment and riddles with an internal dissent. Most of civil political parties refuse totally the idea of establishing parties on religious basis and that pushed them to launch a wide campaign calling for the immediate dissolve of the party and other Islamic movements operating in the political scene. Entering the election race without powerful allies, made some political experts thought that new and unofficial Muslim Brotherhood figures will run for the parliament on al-Nour's electoral lists with little disclosure about their affiliation. It will not be long before we know whether al-Nour uses the Brotherhood to succeed in the elections or they intend to marginalize them.
