Muslim Brotherhood members were markedly absent from the nomination process as the Lawyers' Syndicate continued to receive applications, on Tuesday, by nominees for the syndicate’s board elections slated for November 8.
The Brotherhood had managed to secure a majority in most of the trade unions since the 2011 uprising, but the outlawed organization has chosen to boycott this process
Mohamed Tosson, a Muslim Brotherhood member in charge of the Lawyers' Syndicate file, said the group has decided to boycott the process but will “let the lawyers select whomever they which to represent them”. He added that members are nonetheless free to independently run in the elections or cast their votes.
Saeed Abdel-Khaleq, a former deputy chairman who is running for the syndicate’s chairmanship, said, however, that judicial supervision on the process by the Administrative Prosecution service is “deficient”. He told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the judicial oversight is planned only for the polls, rather than extending to cover the application process which, he pointed out, is entirely managed by syndicate employees.
Ahmed Qenawy, a syndicate member and a Nasserist politician predicted a low turnout for the votes amid the Brotherhood’s absence, paving the way for incumbent chairman, Sameh Ashour, to secure a victory both with the chairman’s and the board’s seats.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
