CAIRO: Sameh Ashour, head of the Lawyers' Syndicate, replaced Mansour Hassan as head of the Advisory Council to Egypt's military rulers on Tuesday night. Mansour, a culture and information minister under the late president Anwar Sadat, resigned from the council after he decided to run in the presidential election, slated for May 23-24. Ashour, former deputy head of the council, took over Hassan's post, based on the council's bylaws. The Advisory Council, which has seen many of its members resign since its formation last year, has frozen its meetings and duties until it meets with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to decide its fate. Ashour told Daily News Egypt that the Council is awaiting SCAF's response to set up an appointment for the meeting. Several members have called for disbanding the Council after the parliament was elected. The main responsibility of the council is to assist SCAF in governing the country until a new president is elected. Its role is completely consultative, while final decisions are left to SCAF. "SCAF needs to have a clear vision (in running the transitional period) that needs the council's consultations and advice. But without a vision, we as an Advisory Council have no role," Ashour said.
