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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Interview Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Sitting in at the Bar
By Mona El-NahhasVowing that they would strike until the government takes action, groups of lawyers started a sit-in on 27 April at the Bar Association's headquarters protesting a decision to prolong the judicial supervision of the association for three more months. Protesters declared that the sit-in would continue until Mahfouz Shouman, head of the judicial committee supervising professional-syndicate elections, sets a date for organising elections at the Bar Association.
When the Court of Cassation ended the Bar Association's three-year-old sequestration period in October, a judicial committee was assigned to direct the associations affairs while overseeing election preparations. The committee's legal mandate to organise the elections was scheduled to be completed in April, but Counsellor Wahid Mahmoud, the committee chairman, announced on 15 April that more time was needed for revising the lists of voters. The imposed supervision was extended for three more months, ending on 24 July.
The decision was met with resentment from lawyers, who described it as "illegal and unjustified," and claimed that the government had only chosen to extend the supervision to delay elections after it realised that lawyers would not allow the elections to be fixed and would not allow the government to impose its candidate on them.
Sources said that a date for elections is expected to be announced within the coming few days, but lawyers question whether any positive step will be taken and have indicated that they are prepared to take further measures. Lawyers told a news conference at the association's headquarters last Saturday that if Shouman did not set a date soon, they would start a hunger strike next week; but the assertion was downplayed by Nasserist lawyer Sameh Ashour, who intends to nominate himself for the post of syndicate chairman.
"At the current stage, lawyers have no choice but to wait and see what will happen," Ashour said. "Now, it's premature to talk about a hunger strike or other steps of escalation. We received many promises from those in charge of organising elections and we are waiting for them to deliver on these promises."
Protesters staged the sit-in and appealed the decision at the Administrative Court. Last Friday, a three-man delegation met Counsellor Moqbel Shaker, head of the Judges Club, and handed him a statement condemning the "illegal" decision. The statement stressed lawyers' respect for the Egyptian judicial system, describing it as "the only remaining fortress of freedom." The statement also urged the judiciary to back lawyers in their rejection of all types of "administrative guardianship" of the Bar Association. On Monday and Tuesday, lawyers held meetings at the Cairo Northern Court and Al-Gala'a Courts Complex to drum up support for their cause.
Attempting to contain the heated situation, lists of voters signed by Wahid Mahmoud were submitted on Tuesday to Shouman, who now has to fix a date for elections. Sources expect that nominations will begin to be accepted as of 15 May and elections will be held on 1 July.
Lawyer Mohamed El-Damati, who admonished the government's handling of the crisis, maintained that he had little hope for the situation being resolved, even if a date is set for starting the nomination process. "The government will come up with new obstacles to preempt elections," El-Damati said. "For example, the government may push certain lawyers to file appeals, claiming that voters' lists need to be revised, on the grounds that they include names of syndicate members who do not exercise the legal profession. These appeals will take lawyers into a new labyrinth."
El-Damati contends that the government will not allow elections to take place unless it is certain that it will win a tangible presence on the association's council. "And since the majority of lawyers firmly oppose any governmental interference, there will be no elections," El-Damati said.
Lawyer Assem Abdin affirms that if and when elections are held, there is no guarantee that the government will not interfere. "Every one of us anticipates that elections will not reflect the true will of lawyers," he said. "Of course, we will protect the elections against rigging, but the government will not leave us alone."
