Egypt: Christians protest at government plan to hold Easter election

Christians in Egypt have protested over plans by President Morsi's government to hold elections during the Coptic Easter the Coptic Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria of Coptic Bishop Botros Fahim Awad Hanna has said.

Bishop Anba Fahim Hanna said the elections would coincide with the national holiday of Sham al-Nasseem, a festivity of pharaonic origin which celebrates Spring and falls on Easter Monday. The first date of political elections has been set for 27 April, the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The second round of elections would fall on 5 May, the Sunday on which this year Coptic Christians celebrate Easter.

"Our political leaders chose the dates because they never take the calendar of Christian festivities into consideration" the Coptic Catholic Bishop told Fides. He said there would be no one in the government to advise them about this. However, since the news emerged, the Bishop said there was "an explosion of protests on the social networks".

Bishop Hanna explained that "certain prominent Christians" had now contacted the Presidential offices to express their concerns, and it was hoped that the government would choose other election dates.

Source: Fides