Reda Edward, the new CEO of opposition daily Al-Dostour, informed the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate on Monday that he had rejected journalists' demands to reinstate former chief editor Ibrahim Eissa and former executive editor Ibrahim Mansour.
He also rejected the involvement of editors in organizing the newspaper's board of directors.
“The door is closed to negotiations with the syndicate," Edward told Al-Masry Al-Youm. "And I will not go back for more negotiations with the syndicate board, as they are not serious in their demands.”
“I may return to negotiations if the syndicate sets certain demands without the usual daily additions and changes, which have caused me to waste my time without finding a solution to the problem,” he added.
Edward asserted that there was "no way" Eissa or Mansour would return to the newspaper, adding that he would not agree to this "under any inducement.”
He also said that 35 journalists had returned to work on Monday and called on other journalists to do the same.
In related news, the Supreme Press Council officially appointed former managing editor Ayman Sharaf to the position of editor-in-chief of the newspaper, prompting the newspaper’s journalists to organize a protest on Monday in front of council headquarters.
Protesters also demanded that the newspaper be penalized for releasing its Sunday edition in the absence of an acting editor-in-chief or executive editor-in-chief.
Protesters included syndicate members Gamal Abdel Raheem and Mohamed Abdel Qudoos, as well as writer Nabil Farouk and rights activist Nageeb Gibrail.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
