Who will be the next Press Syndicate chairman, wonders Shaden Shehab By now familiar promises are being made ahead of Press Syndicate elections for the post of chairman, scheduled for 6 December. The five-day nomination period opened on Saturday, producing six journalists to vie for the position. The candidates are current Chairman Makram Mohamed Ahmed, Vice- Chairman of the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies Diaa Rashwan, Al-Ahram journalist Mohamed Youssef El-Masri, Al-Akhbar journalist Magdi Abdel-Ghani, Editor- in-Chief of Shaab Masr Ahmed El-Gebeili and Sayed El-Iskandarani of Al-Gomhuriya. Under the Press Syndicate law the chairman is elected every two years, and can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. Commentators agree the real race is between Ahmed, 74, and Rashwan, 50. Ahmed is perceived by many as the government candidate, with Rashwan widely viewed as enjoying more independence. It is a classification that Ahmed has been at pains to deny, while Rashwan revels in his tag, announcing on more than one occasion that it is time for "a new generation to turn the wheel". "I am not standing for the post to fulfil the government's agenda and my history as an independent writer makes it shameful for some to suggest that I am," complains Ahmed, a former chairman of the state-owned Dar Al-Hilal and editor- in-chief of Al-Mussawar magazine. Though he has indeed taken stands that have not fully accorded with those of the regime, Ahmed nonetheless managed to secure the kind of financial promises from the government that some characterise as little more than bribery, but which could well buy him the support he needs. During his last term journalists' basic pay was increased by LE200 a month. Both candidates agree custodial sentences for publishing offences must be scrapped and legislation granting improved access to information passed. They have both said they will work to see salaries and pensions increased, health insurance improved and training programmes put place. So what's the difference? More style, perhaps, than substance, with Ahmed likely to adopt a softly-softly approach with the powers that be, and Rashwan expected to be more confrontational. Some journalists argue that electing Ahmed will open the door to greater government interference in Press Syndicate affairs, while others insist maintaining good relations with the government is no crime and could well help in the battle to end custodial sentences. Increasing salaries and pensions, they point out, also requires dialogue with the government rather than conflict. Ahmed told Al-Ahram Weekly that he had already gone a long way towards achieving the goals he had set himself. "I have promises from senior officials that custodial sentences will be abolished and freedom of information legislation is ready for the next parliamentary session." "Furthermore, the LE200 increase last term was only a start and negotiations are underway for a new salary overhaul." He also pointed out that for the first time the syndicate's own code of ethics is being implemented and journalists accused of any offences are being referred back to the Press Syndicate by the prosecutor-general rather than the courts. Rashwan told the Weekly that: "For years we have gone with government candidates to see what they can do and the time is ripe for change." For the past two decades the government candidate has managed to secure the chairman's post with the exception of Galal Aref (2003-2007), an Akhbar Al-Yom writer with Nasserist affiliations who beat Al-Ahram columnist and government candidate Salah Montasser. The first thing he will do if elected chairman, says Rashwan, is to call an extraordinary general assembly to discuss ways of increasing the salaries. "All options are open. Negotiations with the government will take place first but if our demands are not met we will protest, strike and take the matter to new levels," he vowed. "It is time that we were taken seriously." "A strong council without an active General Assembly will not achieve anything. The new council must find ways to mobilise journalists and make them interested in their syndicate. The assembly will act as a council watchdog and council members must feel that their actions are monitored." Rashwan believes the "profession must be saved" and journalists' political and economic demands met. Only by providing journalists with realistic salaries, he argues, can their loyalty to the profession be guaranteed rather than grubbing around in compromise to make ends meet. Rashwan, who nominated himself as a candidate for the Press Syndicate Council in 1999 but failed to win a seat, has been criticised for his inexperience. For the past year, though, he has championed the faction within Al-Ahram -- its slogan "For the sake of Al-Ahram" -- which successfully called for the removal of then Al-Ahram chairman of the board Mursi Atallah. Some predict that divisions on the 12-seat Press Council between leftists, Islamists and pro-government members may play badly for Ahmed. "The council has always had differences and they have not been allowed to get in the way of syndicate affairs," insists Ahmed. The Press Syndicate is alone among professional unions in having avoided the divisions between Islamists and secularists that have seen other syndicate's sequestrated. Rashwan agrees that there have always been "healthy" differences between council members but argues that they can be a hindrance when the chairman is unable to control the divisions, which he says is now the case. "It is important to be able to administer relations with all council members regardless of their political affiliations."
