Egyptian Churches affirm neutrality in presidential election

CAIRO – 4 February 2018: The Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches in Egypt affirm their neutrality in the upcoming presidential election, said Andrea Zaki, head of the Evangelical community, on Sunday.

Zaki pointed out that Pope Tawadros instructed churches to refrain from partaking in propaganda or hosting seminars or others, in addition to the need to participate in the electoral process.

He clarified that voting is free for every Egyptian citizen registered in the voters’ lists, including the clergy, provided that his office is not used to direct voters to one of the candidates.

“The church encourages people to participate in the upcoming presidential election to support democrats and calls for boycotting elections that are not positive,” Zaki said.

On July 31, 2015, Pope Tawadros said that the Copts are not politically isolated and they have a significant role to play in political participation, especially after the June 30 Revolution.

On January 31, the National Election Authority said that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Head of Ghad Party Moussa Moustafa Moussa have applied to run in the 2018 presidential election.

Voting in the 2018 presidential election in Egypt will commence on March 26, as announced by the National Electoral Authority (NEA) on January 8. Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election between March 26 and 28 in Egypt, while expatriates will vote between March 16 and 18.