CAIRO: The State Council's Administrative Court reiterated Saturday its January verdict that denounced Mohmoud Abaza as president of Al-Wafd opposition party, calling for its enforcement. The ruling did not indicate that Noeman Gomaa, former president of Al-Wafd, should reclaim his position as the head of the party. However, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, secretary general of the party, told Daily News Egypt that the verdict passed by the court is "nothing more than an opinion in the conflict, and not a final decision by any means. He added that this is only an "administrative court and not a "supreme court. Abdel Nour said the party's president is chosen by its general committee, which has voted for Abaza as its president and representative in the People's Assembly. Gomaa, who ran against President Hosni Mubarak in the 2005 presidential elections, was ousted from Al-Wafd when conflicts arose between him and some of the party's members a few months after the elections. Last January another court ruled in favor of Gomaa, validating his position as the official president of party and head of its PA delegation. However, Fathi Sorour, speaker of the People's Assembly, turned down the court's request to remove Abaza from his position as head of the party's parliamentary delegation. Abdel Nour previously told Daily News Egypt that "Gomaa is staying home, and confirmed that he made no appearances at the party's headquarters.
