CAIRO: Following several postponements, lawyers gathered Sunday to elect a new board for their syndicate. Sunday's syndicate elections were the first since the recent cancellation of Law 100 which imposed restrictions on professional syndicate elections and deemed existing boards illegitimate. At 9 am lawyers began casting their votes after the quorum was reached with the registration of 3,000 members of the General Assembly. The elections took place in the absence of security as clashes continued between protesters and central security forces (CSF) in Tahrir Square. Judges too were absent, as they refused to oversee the syndicate elections following a fierce battle between judges and lawyers over amendments to the Judicial Authority Law, which lawyers deemed was insulting to them because it gave judges the authority to order their arrest in cases of contempt of court. Lawyers tied the postponement of the elections by the interim judicial committee supervising their elections to their objection to the draft law, interpreting it as means to pressure them to accept the controversial law. Sunday's elections were overseen by the administrative prosecution. Lawyers participating in the elections are demanding a strong board that would “preserve the dignity of lawyers which is being trampled by the police and the judges.” "We want a board that will confront the excesses of the judges and the police against lawyers," Fayeq Ebied said as he waited in a queue to cast his vote. Ebied said he does not want to see a collision between lawyers and judges, but stressed that the new elected syndicate should bring an end to the arrogance of judges towards lawyers. "Our stance against judges is legal; we want a board that will preserve and defend our immunity during court sessions," said lawyer Atef Dief. Gamal Youssef said that although lawyers are part of the political arena, the elected board should not only focus on rights and freedoms, but should also provide services to members of the general assembly. Ebied agreed, saying that lawyers need a proper pension and better medical facilities. Youssef and Dief called upon the new board to help the young lawyers and provide suitable programs that would improve their conditions. Twenty-four candidates were vying for the top position as head of the Lawyers' Syndicate, while around 373 candidates contended for membership of the board. The syndicate chief seat was contested by Sameh Ashour, former head of the syndicate; Mohamed Kamel, vice president of Al-Wafd party, who is supported by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB); Mukhtar Noah, supported by the Al-Jama'a Al-Islamia; and Islamist lawyer Montasser El-Zayat, the former rapporteur of the freedoms committee in the syndicate. Members of the general assembly who failed to participate in the syndicate elections will be fined according to Article 228 of the Lawyers' Act No. 17 of 1983, amended by Law No. 197 of 2008 and Article 21 of the bylaw of the syndicate. The fine, estimated at LE 20, will be collected upon the payment of the annual membership fees.
