(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, MAY 5 - Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II
said on Monday that he would not be taking the side of either
presidential candidate in the upcoming Egyptian elections.
The Coptic Church leader was one of the backers of the
military ouster on July 3 last year of Muslim Brotherhood
president Mohamed Morsi and supported the political 'road map'
that was to have followed.
In an interview with the El-Resala newspaper, the head of the
Coptic church urged Egyptians, ''both Copts and Muslims, to read
the electoral programs of both candidates'' - El-Sisi, who is
leading in the polls, and leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi -
''well, and then make a choice as you see fit.''
His church's participation in the July 3 ouster was of a
''national'' and not political nature, said Tawadros, who sided
with El-Sisi at that time, as did Al-Ahzar Grand Imam Ahmed
El-Tayyeb.
As part of a campaign entitled ''the people defend their
candidate'', Morsi supporters under the umbrella group National
Coalition to Support Legitimacy have called on Egyptians to
boycott the ''comedy of presidential elections'', saying that
''the presidency is still occupied by Mohamed Morsi, who
represents the solution to all problems''. The group demands
that the elections be called off.
Supporting Sabbahi are the Dostour ('Constitution') party
founded by Nobel-winner Mohamed El-Baradei and the Adl
('Justice') party, which a number of those involved in the 2011
uprising are part of.
Sisi, who a recent poll showed was expected to rake in
approximately 72% of votes, is supported by the Arab Democratic
Nasserist Party under Mohamed Hassan and the Sadat Democratic
Party under Effat El-Sadat, and also by a part of the Tamarrod
mouvement which played a leading role in the ousting of Morsi.
On Sunday the Salafis of the Nour party - which was
previously allied with Morsi but distanced themselves from the
Muslim Brotherhood on July 3 - made their support for Sisi
official. (ANSAmed).
