Rome, Italy, Dec 2, 2011 / 18:07 pm
Coptic Catholic Patriarch Antonios Naguib remains hopeful for his country's future, even as Egypt's Islamic political parties seem poised to make the largest gains in parliamentary elections this week.
“We have a great hope that a better situation will come out,” Cardinal Patriarch Naguib told CNA Dec. 1, after the Nov. 28-29 vote for lower house representatives in nine of Egypt's 27 provinces.
“There are many groups that are convinced and working hard for democracy,” the Egyptian Eastern Catholic leader said, “and for a society and constitution based on human rights, and equality, and civic society.”
On Dec. 3 Egypt's military government is expected to announce the final results of the first round of voting since the departure of former president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. Early predictions found secular and civic-oriented parties receiving only around 17 percent of the votes.