Churches pledge electoral neutrality

COPTIC POPE TAWADROS II has said he will not take sides in the upcoming Egyptian presidential election in which analysts predict that ex-military chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will win in a landslide victory, writes Liz Dodd.

Field Marshal Sisi is standing against leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahi in the 26-27 May election, and has vowed that if he wins, the Muslim Brotherhood will “not exist”. Last month a judge sentenced 683 Brotherhood members to death.

The spokesman for the Coptic Catholic Church, Fr Rafic Greiche, said its bishops did not back any one candidate but most Christians supported Field Marshal Sisi. While he opposed the death penalty, Fr Rafic said the Brotherhood terrorised civilians daily – “mainly Christians, women and students. They deserve a very harsh treatment.”