The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) plans to send Omar Haridi, a prominent NDP leader and member of Lawyers Syndicate, to the US by the end of the month for talks with leaders of the Coptic diaspora about fielding more coptic candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for next November.
A church source affirmed that party leaders had met in advance to discuss the issue. Ahmed Ezz, NDP organization secretariat, suggested that a party leader be sent to meet around 20 Coptic activists in the US, in an effort to guarantee their support for the NDP and President Mubarak in the elections.
Sources added that one of Pope Shenoudah’s legal advisers is waiting on the pope’s approval to travel to US as a “mediator” between government representatives and US-based copts.
One coptic leader abroad said his community welcomes any initiative for copts’ rights and that the talks will address issues beyond just election nominations.
Al-Masry Al-Youm tried to contact Haridi, but he wasn’t available to comment.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
