Newsreel

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More elections

HUNDREDS of judges will convene tomorrow at the downtown headquarters of the Cairo Judges Club to elect a new chairman and council members, reports Mona El-Nahhas.

The prime candidates are the current club chairman Zakareya Abdel-Aziz, known for his patriotic stands, and the deputy chief justice of the Cassation Court, judge Adel El-Shorbagui, who, as the cabinet's legal advisor, is backed by the state. Sources at the Judges Club told Al-Ahram Weekly that the state, attempting to increase its candidate's chances of winning the elections, has launched a smear campaign against club members who are running in the poll.

The sources added that the state promised judges several gains if El-Shorbagui and his group win.

Despite the government's backing of El-Shorbagui, the current council seems to have the support of the majority of judges in the country's provinces. Since March, club members have been battling with the state for total independence of the judiciary from the state's executive authority and for guarantees to hold fair elections.

During tomorrow's general assembly, judges are expected to give their assessment of this year's parliamentary elections, which, they have said, were marred by rigging on an unprecedented scale. A decision to boycott any future elections might be made. Judges who supervised the three stages of the parliamentary polls will also submit their testimony.

The judges' assessment of the elections was to have been presented last week on Thursday during a press conference which was later cancelled. According to Abdel-Aziz, the club thought it better to present their findings tomorrow after consulting with the assembled judges.

Judicial sources said judges had been receiving phone calls from unidentified callers for the past week threatening to take revenge if they speak out on the rigging of votes.

Suez Canal threat

EGYPTIAN authorities have denied reports that the Suez Canal, a leading world water passageway, is to come under a terrorist attack and that it would need help securing the tunnel and its approaches, Amirah Ibrahim reports.

On Friday, the Israeli press quoted officials as saying the Israeli Navy had stopped using the Suez Canal out of concern that it will be targeted by global militants. The report said the decision had no strategic significance for Israel because its navy rarely uses the Suez Canal in any case.

Officials at the Suez Canal Authority insist that the tunnel is absolutely safe, being controlled and monitored by a number of security bodies, including intelligence, the Interior Ministry and the army.

On Monday, the United States approved the shipment of surplus naval vessels to Egypt and other allies in the Middle East. An official statement said the House of Representatives had ratified the transfer of two minesweepers to Egypt. The Osprey- class minesweepers would come from US Navy surplus and at least one of the ships would be donated.

Officials said the move would enable Egypt to help secure the Suez Canal and its approaches, a major route for US military ships. Officials said Egypt has sought to modernise its fleet.

The Osprey-class vessel has been deemed the world's largest fibre glass mine hunter. The vessel, armed with two .50 calibre machine guns and high-definition, variable-depth sonar, was designed to survive the shock of underwater explosions. The ship also includes an unmanned submarine to neutralise mines.

Kifaya's birthday

CELEBRATING the first anniversary of the popular movement for change Kifaya, more than 200 opposition figures belonging to the movement protested on Monday against what they said was rigged parliamentary elections in which the ruling NDP won nearly three-quarters of the parliament's seats.

The demonstrators also condemned the death of 12 people in acts of violence during the elections which took part in three stages over a month and which ended last week.

"This is the first protest against vote-buying and thuggery which marred the elections," Kifaya coordinator George Ishak told reporters during the demonstration.

The demonstrators began their protest in front of a court in central Cairo before marching in nearby streets. They called for the resignation of Interior Minister Habib El-Adli and carried a coffin inscribed, "Funeral of the elections".

"This return to the street is because the route of change by way of elections is blocked," said Abdel-Halim Kandil, a spokesman for Kifaya, a loose grouping of political pro-reform activists who staged an unprecedented wave of anti-Mubarak street demonstrations at the beginning of the year. The movement has been one of the staunchest advocates of lifting the 24-year-old state of emergency and has fiercely campaigned against the prospect of Gamal Mubarak succeeding his father as president.

Protesters on Monday said they invited the Brotherhood to attend but said only a few individuals from the group came.

Kifaya is due to hold a congress in the next few days to define its future agenda. Organisers said they will restructure the movement by reinforcing its presence in the provinces, organising conferences and mobilising youth and civil society.