Last Thursday, at a famous Downtown hotel, the Chairman of Planning and Budget committee of the People's Assembly of Egypt, held a meeting with more than 20 members of the new Bar Association Council. The meeting aimed at reaching a conclusion concerning the formation of the body of Bar Association's new office. However, such meeting raised many questions in relation to Egyptian National Democratic Party's (NDP) interference with Bar Associations' affairs. On the other hand, Secretary of Professional Affairs in the People's Assembly of Egypt, Mohamed Hassan el-Hefnawy, said that: "NDP does not interfere with Bar Association; yet, it is so ordinary that, Hamdi Khalifa, Head of Bar Association as well as Member of NDP, should speak to NDP's Secretary. This way, they can, through any possible way, reunite Bar Association." He added, "Even if that way was to be available through coordinating with NDP as well as any of the Opposition Parties in Egypt such as Wafd and Tagamoa parties." Moreover, Wafd Party's Vice President, Yassin Taj al-Deen, saw NDP's interference with the Bar Association affairs as an aggression to syndicalistic activity as well as Bar Association in Egypt. In addition to that, he expressed his party's strong rejection to such interference, as it unveiled the NDP's deeply-rooted desire to assume complete control over all state authorities. Such interference was also described by, Sobohy Saleh, Muslim Brotherhood Association's MP, as corruption in the highest degree. He continued that, ever since its interference with Egyptian syndicates, NDP managed to damage the syndicalistic existence in Egypt; especially when it issued the law 100 for the year 1993. On his part, Secretary General of Nasserist Lawyers' Group, Said Abed el-Ghany, stated: "We reject the NDP's interference with Bar Association, just as we have rejected that Muslim Brotherhood Association's Guidance Office might have taken control of it. Similarly, we reject that NDP Policies Secretariat, which inflicted great damages on Egypt, may take control of us." Abed el-Ghany added that, as an MP, Hamdi Khalifa's situation towards such interference was entirely expected. The man needed any kind of support and no better support could be found at another place than NDP, stated Abed el-Ghany. MP Talat al-Sadat said that, for the NDP to interfere with managing Bar Association affairs was something very usual. "The NDP just has done it before, when it colluded with previous Bar Association's Head, Sameh Ashour. Now, the same is done with the current Head, Hamdi Khalifa," added al-Sadat. Al-Sadat went on to say that, Ahmed Ezz was bequeathing supporters' main leader. "Ezz has been dealing with both Ashour and Khalifa on the grounds that they are NDP's means of taking control of Egyptian Bar Association. That way Egypt's rule shall never exceed the NDP." al-Sadat said further. Moreover, MP Alaa Abed el-Moneam said that, Ezz was not a member in Bar Association; Bar Association had nothing to do with political parties or liberty issues. He continued that, Bar Association represented all national forces inside Egypt and it was not acceptable that any force might hold control of it. Abed el-Moneam revealed that, such a meeting was held with the purpose of promoting Omar Haridy to hold the position of NDP' Treasurer as well as putting other members aside. This was a firm foundation of Ahmed Ezz's policy of assuming complete control over everything, continued Alaa. Indeed, I blame Bar Associations' members who were present at that meeting, requesting them to be far above such trivial personal interests.
