CAIRO: The Egyptian Catholic Church issued a statement on Tuesday confirming that it stands neutral and objective, and does not prefer a certain presidential candidate in the upcoming presidential race, stressing that it “respects the freedom of its followers and their right to choose who they see as the most viable.” The Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt called on all the Egyptian people to “show active participation and go to the polls to exercise their right to vote,” stressing its confidence that Egypt and its people “can distinguish what is good and achieve what`s best for the stability of the country.” The Council said it expects the next president to lead the country on the “basis of democracy and freedom of expression and creativity, citizenship and equality between people of one nation in the rights and duties, in order to protect distinctiveness and dignity of the citizens.”