CAIRO - Dozens of Egyptian journalists staged a 'symbolic' protest outside their syndicate in downtown Cairo Saturday against a court ruling suspending polls for their union's board members and chairman, calling for a "speedy response to a judicial appeal" to hold the elections as soon as possible. An administrative court on Thursday decided to suspend the elections for the Press Syndicate's chairman and board members because the decision to hold them has been taken by the current unlawful board. Lawyers for the syndicate filed an appeal against the ruling Saturday, saying the court approved the appeal. Sayyed Abou Zeid, the legal consultant of the Press Syndicate, has earlier in the day said he appealed the ruling to suspend the polls due last Friday, urging the court to force the claimant to pay a compensation for delaying them. "The ruling violates the union's bylaw as the current board members are all elected," said Abou zeid. The journalists were up in arms, slamming the delay verdict as a "coordinated campaign against freedom of expression in Egypt". "Suspending the Press Syndicate's polls and delaying those for lawyers as well as stirring controversy over the judicial authority law are all three forms of setting stumbling blocks against freedom of expression in this country," said Ahmed Hassan el-Sharqawi, one of the runners of the union's board membership. El-Sharqawi was one of some other tens of journalists holding their press IDs on the stairs to the Press Syndicate. The angry journalists urged the administrative court to hear their appeal as soon as possible. "Most of the protesters today are contesting the board membership. This means they are united against any bid to lower their voice or marginalise their union," Lotfi el-Saqaan, a journalist, told The Egyptian Gazette. The case was filed to the administrative court by Khaled el-Atfi, one of the runners for board membership. Over 100 candidates will be vying to win the hearts of 5,200 Press Syndicate members. Most of these candidates are young people who have never run in elections before.
