Naguib Sawiris, an Egyptian telecom tycoon and founder of the Free Egyptians Party, replied on Twitter on Dec. 31 to a comment by one of his followers wondering whether the state had nationalized the opposition party as if it were an economic enterprise. His response: "Well said!"

The exchange comes in the wake of the internal disputes that shook the party in recent days. With 65 members of parliament, the Free Egyptians Party is the largest party in the Egyptian parliament.

On Dec. 31, Essam Khalil, the president of the Free Egyptians Party, held a press conference announcing the approval by the party's General Conference members of amendments to the bylaws and the dissolution of the Board of Trustees, which is deemed the supreme authority of the party. This would overthrow Sawiris, one of the largest party sponsors and a prominent member of its Board of Trustees.

Sawiris saw this procedure and the state's nationalization of the party as illegal. On his Twitter account on Dec. 31, he wrote, "Do not be sad when time has betrayed you because dogs have always danced on the bodies of lions. Do not think their dance gives them power, for dogs stay dogs and lions stay lions."