Two-man race to head Egypt's top Islamist party

• FJP secretary general and former speaker of the now-dissolved parliament Saad al-Katatni is squaring off against acting party chairman Essam al-Erian

Two prominent Islamists are in the race to head Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party, to replace Mohamed Morsi who quit as chairman after being elected president, a party official said Wednesday.

FJP secretary general and former speaker of the now-dissolved parliament Saad al-Katatni is squaring off against acting party chairman Essam al-Erian in the leadership election due to take place on October 19, said Hussein Ibrahim.

The two men were left alone in the race after four other would-be candidates, including the only woman, failed to obtain enough nominations to vie for the chairmanship of Morsi's former party, Ibrahim added.

The FJP is the political arm of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood which had mobilised its resources and supporters behind Morsi in the presidential election.

Morsi headed the FJP until he took office in June, becoming Egypt's first elected president and its first civilian head of state.