Cairo: The patriarch of Egypt`s Coptic Church
has expressed willingness to support a new government led by
the Muslim Brotherhood, days after the largest political party
demanded that the incumbent military-appointed cabinet be
sacked to make way for a coalition government.
Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church of
Alexandria has expressed willingness to nominate four Coptic
figures to ministerial positions in Freedom and Justice Party
led government if such a government comes to fruition, a
church source was quoted as saying by an Egyptian daily.
Egypt`s Muslim Brotherhood, which now dominates the
parliament after historic the polls has said it is ready to
form a coalition government and demanded that the incumbent
cabinet be sacked as it has failed to check deteriorating
security and economic situation in the country.
The minority Coptic Christians account for over 10 per
cent of Egypt`s population.
The emergence of Islamists as major political parties
against the secularists in parliamentary polls had made the
community anxious.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that
"the Church thinks that the group (FJP) has the full right to
form the government on the condition that it will be
representative of all communities in the society".
Brotherhood Deputy Supreme Guide Khairat al-Shater said on
Wednesday that it is ready to form a coalition government in
place of the current government headed by Prime Minister Kamal
al-Ganzouri.
The idea has gathered political support in the past days,
but according to the interim constitution issued by the ruling
military council last March, the only authority capable of
dismissing a cabinet during the transition period is the
Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) itself.
A military source said that SCAF does not plan to dismiss
Ganzouri, and that the cabinet will stay in place until the
military council hands power over to civilians by the end of
June.
On Thursday, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, a
founding member of the Egyptian Bloc electoral list, welcomed
the Freedom and Justice Party`s proposal to form a national
salvation cabinet.
The leftist party said in a statement that it rejects the
Ganzouri cabinet for "failing to achieve security for
citizens, and for being responsible for the massacre in Port
Said," in reference to violence in the city`s football stadium
last week that left over 71 dead and hundreds injured.
Many Egyptians have attributed the violence to an
intentional security negligence or incitement on the part of
security forces.
PTI
