The announcement that the Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi could choose a Copt and a woman for vice presidents, or among his deputies, aroused wide controversy on the Egyptian
The announcement that the Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi could choose a Copt and a woman for vice presidents, or among his deputies, aroused wide controversy on the Egyptian street in general and among Copts in specific. A large part of the controversy involved suspicions that Mursi##s promise would see light, since Islamists have been notoriously vocal about their rejection of a Copt or a woman for president—and predictably, for vice president.
Younis Makhyoun of the Salafi al-Nur party and member of its executive office, declared the party’s rejection to the idea of appointing a Copt or woman deputy. He jeered: “When the US appoints a Muslim deputy to its president; we can discuss appointing a Coptic deputy.”
Makhyoun said there was no problem with appointing Copts and women as advisors and ministers but, if Mursi appoints a woman or a Copt as deputies, his party must withdraw from the presidential responsibilities. The entire issue is currently under discussion with the Muslim Brotherhood##s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) of which Mursi is a member, Makhyoun said.
For their part, the Copts fear that Mursi may choose a Coptic character that is in alliance with the Islamists, and that is far from representing the Coptic community. Among these are Amin Iskander a MP in the dissolved parliament who won by allying himself with the FJP, Rafiq Habib, deputy to the head of the FJP, and Gamal Asaad who also allied with the Islamists.
Coptic activist groups have, for their part, made a set of nominations for deputy to Mursi. These included the Egyptian American activist Michael Mounir, head and founder Al-Hayat al-Misriya (The Egyptian Life) party, the lawyers Naguib Gabrail and Mamdouh Ramzi, and the intellectual and activist Emad Gad. So far, however, the exact role of the vice-president is not known; some believe it may merely be an honourable role.
Watani International
29 June 2012