Prime Minister Sherif Ismail met on Sunday with ministers of his cabinet to review the latest legislations the government has prepared, ahead of presenting them to the parliament. Minister of Justice Hosam Abdel Reheem and Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Magdy El-Agaty attended the meeting with Ismail, as the trio discussed a proposed legislation for regulating the construction of churches "in light of the agreement reached between the government and representatives of churches," a statement from the cabinet read. The head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, and a number of top figures in the church discussed the proposed law in a meeting on Thursday with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, following violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in Minya and Beni Suef last week. The pope also met with the parliamentary Religious Committee on Monday as he advised against the issuance of an "unsatisfying law" on the construction of churches. Simultaneously, the Free Egyptians Party (FEP) submitted a draft bill to the parliament. The ministerial meeting with Ismail also discussed the Local Administration bill recently approved by cabinet, and the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) bill, as the cabinet is mulling prioritisation of bills presented to the parliament.
