Five journalists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood applied on Monday to compete for board memberships in Egypt's Journalists Syndicate elections. The elections are scheduled for 14 October and the number of board membership candidates have now reached 50. The five from the Brotherhood are Hany Mekkawy (Freedom and Justice newspaper), Hani Salah Eddin (Youm7), Khaled Barakat (Al-Ahram), Qutb al-Araby (Al-Shaab) and Mohamed Abdel Quddous (Al-Akhbar). Meanwhile, the number of candidates for syndicate chief has remained unchanged since the syndicate began receiving applications on Saturday. The race for the top post is limited to Yehia Qallash, Mamdouh Waly, Mo'nes Zoheiry and Sayyid al-Iskandarany. Each Brotherhood nominee has a separate platform, according to Salah Eddin, managing director of Youm7. Salah Eddin rejected allegations that the Brotherhood seeks to dominate or politicize the syndicate, and emphasized that he is anxious to preserve the syndicate's unity and detachment from political disputes. Mekkawy said he is not representing the Brotherhood. Earlier this week, the Brotherhood announced that its candidates have been experiencing sweeping successes in the first rounds of the Teachers Syndicate elections. The group has also come to dominate the Pharmacists Syndicate board through elections held in June. Under the rule of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, the Brotherhood found it difficult to triumph at syndicate elections due to domination by candidates from the previously-ruling National Democratic Party, which used to win elections usally marred by forgery and security interference. Translated from the Arabic Election
