Ihāb 'Ādil Ramzī, a Copt who won an individual seat in the People's Assembly elections on the list of the Freedom Party in the first constituency North of al-Minya, denied that his victory was helped by only Coptic votes or that the church has contributed to his win.

"Coptic votes alone would not be enough to help a candidate make it to parliament, particularly in light of the split in Coptic and liberal votes," said Ramzī, the first Coptic member of parliament in the Upper Egyptian governorate of al-Minya, in statements to al-Misrī al-Yawm.