SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    Egypt's PM meets Tokyo governor, witnesses signing of education agreements    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Egypt's Sisi, France's Macron discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts in phone call    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt jump 18.8% in H1-2025: ministry data    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Al-Nour elections continue despite party rift
Published in Daily News Egypt on 29 - 09 - 2012


Al Nour Party logo
The Salafi Al-Nour Party's internal elections were held despite the divisions within the party. Elections were already held in 19 regions before former party chairman Emad Abdel Ghafour put them on hold.
Elections were held on Saturday according to official spokesperson Nader Bakar and will continue on Sunday for the 11 remaining regions with results already being announced by Saturday evening.
Abdel Ghafour was removed from office by the high board on Thursday after attempted to suspend the elections. Vice Chairman El-Sayed Khalifa replaced him. Abdel Ghafour rejected his dismissal and responded by purporting to suspend several high members, including Ashraf Thabet and Bakar.
Abdel Ghafour continues to maintain he is still party chairman but according to Bakar, the official acting party chairman is now Khalifa.
Abdel Ghafour announced he would hold a reconciliation meeting for all factions within the party as chairman. Ahmed Thabet, former deputy speaker of the People's Assembly and Al-Nour high board member who is an unofficial leader of the faction that ousted Abdel Ghafour said he does not recognise this meeting or Abdel Ghafour's authority to call it.
Thabet told Al-Ahram that if Abdel Ghafour, as regular high board member, wanted to meet with the high board under the chairmanship of Khalifa, it could be arranged.
“He [Abdel Ghafour] knows the party bylaws very well. He does not have the power to suspend anyone, only the party's Shura [consultative] Council has that power," said Bakar who added that he was still the party's official spokesperson.
Bakar said that the decision to remove Abdel Ghafour was perfectly legal and that his term had already expired.
“We tried to get him to resign so that it would have come from him, especially since he was appointed as a presidential assistant, but he didn't respond favourably. In the end he had to be removed," Bakar said.
According to Bakar, Abdel Ghafour took decisions in an autocratic fashion without consulting other members, which was one of the main reasons the high board removed him.
Yousry Hammad, also a party spokesperson and an ally of Abdel Ghafour, released a statement supporting him. He said Abdel Ghafour was appointed chairman by the board of directors of the party's mother organisation, the Salafi Calling, following the collection of over 6,000 endorsements.
“And now there are those who want to remove the man claiming it is because he is a presidential assistant, even though there is nothing in the party bylaws that prohibit that. Ashraf Thabet was Deputy Speaker of the People's Assembly and a party high board member at the same time," wrote Hammad.
He accused the high board members that ousted Abdel Ghafour of doing so out of the self-interested pursuit of positions within the party and said they deliberately misread the party bylaws, which he said provide no provisions for replacing the chairman the way they did.
Abdel Ghafour had announced the removal of Bakar from the position of spokesperson and that only Hammad and Mohamed Nour were authorised to speak to the media on the party's behalf. Bakar denied that he was removed from his position.
The party's secretary-generals in each governorate met on Friday and released a statement on the party's official website backing the high board's decision. The matter was put to a vote and 24 out of 27 members voted to endorse Khalifa as the new acting chairman with the Giza general secretary abstaining and the Cairo and Port Said ones voting against.
Khalifa also released a statement on the website as party chairman thanking Abdel Ghafour for his efforts during his tenure as chairman. Another statement was released confirming that internal elections would take place as scheduled.


Clic here to read the story from its source.