The issue of the representation of Copts in the parliament has been in discussion since the constitution of 1923. A proposal specifying that a certain number of Copts be present in parliament was rejected by Copts themselves. They used to reach parliament through direct elections, because the elections used to be based on political parties, but were not sectarian . However, as the author wrote, the entry of Copts into parliament "became difficult with the change in the political criteria for the choice, within the sectarian environment produced by the violent incidents"