Emad Abdel Ghafour, the chairman of the Salafi Nour Party, said that his party may form a parliamentary coalition with the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party.

The two parties led the polls in the first phase of parliamentary elections. Figures published in the state-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper on Monday said that the FJP won 44 seats and Nour Party 28 seats out of a total of 112 up for grabs during the first phase of Egypt’s parliamentary elections.

“It would be an expansive national coalition, not purely Islamic,” Abdel Ghafour explained. “Purely Islamic coalitions divide the people and are not in the country’s best interests.”

He denied any conflict with the military council. “We often meet to discuss the political situation,” he said. 

“The military council said the parliamentary majority forms the government,” he added. “Problems could arise if this does not happen, as it would mean the people’s choice is worthless.”

“The council cannot prevent a coalition of 50 percent or more from forming the government,” he said.

However, Mohamed Morsi, president of the Freedom and Justice Party, said talk of parliamentary coalitions is premature.