Egypt's presidency is considering changing the starting date of parliamentary elections after Coptic Christians complained it falls on a religious holiday, state television reported on Saturday. President Mohamed Morsi had issued a decree on Thursday to hold the four-round election starting on 27-28 April, the dates of Lazarus's Saturday and Palm Sunday. The rest of the week, before Easter on 5 May, is marked as the Holy Week. The runoff for the first round falls on Easter. Many Copts believe Morsi and his Islamist allies want to sideline the minority amid persistent rumours – denied by electoral officials – that they had been barred from voting in some polling stations in past elections.
