One is killed and three injured in clashes between Wasat Party and Egyptian Bloc supporters in Menofyia, denied by Wasat officials yet confirmed by two eyewitnesses.
Several news websites reported that there were clashes between Al-Wasat Party and Egyptian Bloc supporters in the city of Tala in Menofyia governorate last Saturday night that ended with the death of one Egyptian Bloc supporter.
Al-Wasat Party officials denied the news and claimed it was an attempt to defame the party in the time of elections, accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of spreading rumours.
The Wasat Party general secretary for youth, Mohamed Sobhy, denied that there were clashes or the death of one Egyptian Bloc supporter. Sobhy added that Wasat members were attending at the time of the “alleged clashes" a public conference for Wasat Party candidates in Shabeen El-Kom City.
Sobhy also said that the matter was being investigated by the General Prosecution and that the investigation would prove the innocence of the Wasat Party.
Essam Sultan, deputy chairman of the party, accused the Muslim Brotherhood and their website, Ikhwan Online, of trying to turn the Egyptian Bloc against the Al-Wasat Party by spreading rumours in statements to Youm7 website.
Yet despite the statements of Wasat Party officials, eyewitnesses confirmed that there were terrible clashes in the city of Tal last Saturday night between Egyptian Bloc and Al-Wasat Party supporters.
Mostafa Zein El-Din, a member of the National Association for Change and the Revolution Youth Coalition confirmed to Ahram Online that clashes resulted in the death of one and injury of three, one of them in critical condition.
“It started when the supporters of the Egyptian Bloc had a rally that reached Tala city‘s biggest square and the rally was stopped by the supporters of one of the Wasat list candidates who lives in that square. As soon as the clashes started there was mutual gunfire from both sides resulting in the death of one Egyptian Bloc supporter,” Zein El-Din told Ahram Online
Zein El-Din accused Wasat Party supporters of opening fire first. Other eyewitnesses reported online, including on Facebook and Twitter, that Egyptian Bloc supporters provoked Wasat Party supporters with celebratory gunfire in the air.
According to news reports, the Central Security Forces arrived to the scene and stopped the clashes. The General Prosecution is currently investigating the case. It is unclear how the clashes may affect elections in the second district in Menofyia. There has been no reaction from the Egyptian Bloc until now.
It is the first confirmed violence of its kind in Egypt`s current parliamentary elections.
[Developed in Partnership with Ahram Online.]