The judges are bracing themselves for three new electoral battles, which are being prepared two months before they actually take place. The first will be on April 4 at the elections for Tanta Judges' Club in the governorate of Gharbia, while on April 10 it will be the turn of Alexandria Judges' Club. Finally, the State Council will hold its own elections on April 24 to choose the new 14 members of its board of directors and the chairman. This follows the elections at Egypt Judges' Club, which marked the exit of the Independence Trend from the club and the chairmanship for at least the next three years, when elections for a new council are due to be held. Five judges have so far decided to run in the State Council elections: the current chairman, Counselor Yahiya Dakrouri, whose mandate is due to expire these days; the Council's current Secretary General, Counselor Mohamed Diaa; State Council Deputy Chairman, Counselor Saeed Borghosh; and Counselor Abdel Fattah Higazi. State Council's Deputy Chairman, Counselor Essam Abdel Aziz, has also unexpectedly decided to run. According to some, his candidacy proves his strength and the settling of accounts with some wings and leaders of the State Council. As for Alexandria Judges' Club, it is due to vote to elect five of the 15 members of its board of directors. Four judges belonging to the list of Counselor Ismail el-Bassiouni, the club's current chairman, have been selected by lottery, while the main representatives of the Independence Trend this time are going to be Counselors Mahmoud Maki and Ashraf el-Baroudi. As for Tanta Judges' Club, it is the club where Counselor Ahmed el-Zanad has previously failed to win the chairmanship against the current chairman, Couselor Azmi el-Bakri.
