Egypt Salafist party rejects post-Mursi constitutional declaration

Egypt’s Salafist Nour Party rejected on Saturday the first constitutional declaration issued by Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour.

Mansour issued a decree on Friday dissolving the upper house of parliament.

The Shura Council – upper house of parliament – remained active following the dismantling of the lower house by the army-led authorities before ousted Islamist President Mohammed Mursi was elected in 2012.

It added that he appointed Mohammed Ahmed Farid al-Tohami as the new head of intelligence, replacing Mohammed Raafat Shehata – appointed by Mursi.

Mansour was appointed following the army’s decision to oust the Islamist president.

In a statement released on Saturday morning, the Nour Party said that “the activities and stances of our party, which was against pro-Mursi demonstrations and called for early presidential elections, were aimed at sparing Egyptians from bloodshed and preserving national unity”.

“But in the follow-up of what was happening on the ground in the past two days, we totally reject many things taking place in Egypt now.”

The statement praised recent remarks from the al-Azhar institution, adding that the party expects “more efforts to reunite the people, stop the bloodshed and work towards the reconciliation of the Egyptian people.”

Egyptian security forces arrested hardline Salafi presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, in a nationwide crackdown on prominent Islamist figures since Mursi’s ouster.

Abu Ismail was immediately taken to prison, according to reports that emerged on Friday.