Nour Party, Egypt's second-largest Islamist group after the Muslim Brotherhood, has spurned offers to hold talks with a senior U.S. diplomat currently visiting the strife-torn North African country, Egyptian media reported on Tuesday.
U.S. Under-Secretary of State Bill Burns arrived in Cairo early on Monday as part of a two-day visit seeking a halt to the current violence sweeping the Arab country and also to promote the formation of a democratic, civilian government following a popularly-backed military overthrow of the state's Islamist President.
The ultra-conservative Nour Party called 'Salafists' refused to meet the senior diplomat in protest against what it describesd U.S. intervention in Egypt's domestic affairs, the mass-ciculated Al Ahram Arabic newspaper reported quoting state-run news agency MENA.
The military deposed elected President Mohamed Morsi on July 3 after days of nationwide demonstrations calling for his ouster. The ensuing unrest that has killed dozens and injured more than 1,400 people across Egypt has raised concerns in Washington.
Rejecting U.S. mediation in Egyptian affairs, the Nour Party said it was pressing for an Al-Azhar supervised negotiations with all political forces, including the Muslim Brotherhood, to forge national reconciliation in the increasingly polarized country, the report said.
The Salafistsdescribedcirculated slammed what it called anti-Islamist inflammatory rhetorics in Egyptian media that deepen an already bitter political divide and stall reconciliation efforts. The party said it was working toward establishing a code of conduct to regulate the matter.
The Nour Party, which initially backed the ouster of Morsi, have since declined to accept posts in the Army-backed interim government installed following the overthrow of the Islamist leader. Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi is expected to unveil the new Cabinet by midweek.
In his first comments since Morsi's ouster, military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said the Army acted after Morsi rejected a referendum on his presidency despite the millions that took to the streets to withdraw confidence in Morsi and press for early elections.
Morsi has been held in a "safe place" since his July 3 ouster, according to officials. Both the U.S. and Germany have called for his release.
Security forces launched a crackdown on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood following his removal, with many of the Islamist organizations' officials being detained, on a travel ban list or have had their assets frozen.
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