A Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) candidate running for parliamentary elections on Tuesday announced the formation of a nationwide committee comprised of Salafis and Muslim Brotherhood members to discuss general matters pertaining to Egypt. The decision to form a joint committee comes in the wake bickering between Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood about election issues. Yossry Hany, a candidate running in the first constituency in Mansoura, said Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Supreme Guide Kharyat al-Shater will be a member of the committee. During an FJP conference in Khaleeg village, Hany said everyone should work under an Islamic reference. “Everyone should respect this because our country is Islamic," Hany said. The Muslim Brotherhood, Hany said, wanted to form the committee in Daqahlia “to mull dialogue with other trends, including liberals and secularists, as they were all excluded under the rule of the former regime.” Observers fear a potential electoral alliance between FJP, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, and parties affiliated with Salafis during parliamentary elections, which would grant Islamists absolute power in parliament and in writing the new constitution. FJP had earlier said it would contest 40 percent of parliamentary seats. However, an alliance that includes the Salafi Nour and Asala parties as well as the FJP said it expects to win about 30 percent of the seats. Translated from the Arabic Edition
