The Salafi Nour Party on Wednesday announced it had signed a code of ethics with the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party in which the parties promise to behave respectfully towards each other's parliamentary election campaigns. Several Islamist groups, through nearly 30 Facebook pages, have declared a code of honor according to which young members of Islamist groups will work on avoiding "electoral conflicts" and coordinate efforts during the upcoming elections scheduled for 28 November. Nour Party board member Nader Bakkar told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the pact obliges signatories to avoid damaging each other's campaign by any means. According to Bakkar, the pact stipulates that partisan leaders should abstain from attacking or showing disrespect to their counterparts. Abusive statements by any member will be considered personal rather than partisan, according to the deal. The pact came as a response to rumors about disagreements between the Nour Party and the Freedom and Justice Party, said Nour spokesperson Yousry Hammad, adding that reports about disputes are aimed at causing division between Islamist groups. He added that the pact includes cooperation between the groups to prevent thuggery and forgery during the elections. Earlier this week, Sobhy Saleh, a senior Brotherhood member, criticized Salafist political parties, describing them as political novices and saying that they will not be able to beat the Brotherhood's party during elections. Observers believe competition between the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis will shape the future of Islamist groups both on local and regional levels. Translated from the Arabic Edition
