Church not directing Copts to vote for certain candidates, says bishop

Emad Khalil 26/11/2011 The Coptic Orthodox Church said Saturday it is not specifying a list of candidates for Coptic adherents to vote for in the upcoming parliamentary elections and is merely calling on Copts to vote. Recent rumors that the church is directing Copts to vote for certain candidates are not true, Bishop Morkos, a member of the church’s Holy Synod, told Al-Masry Al-Youm, adding that during his weekly sermon Pope Shenouda III stressed only the necessity that Copts vote. The pope told Copts to choose a suitable candidate, whether Muslim or Christian.