CAIRO: As legal specialists continue their sit-in demanding better pay and working conditions, Egypt’s Minister of Justice granted Thursday LE 2,000 to a select group of specialists in recognition of their extraordinary achievement.
According to ministry officials, specialists from Qena, Fayoum, Banha, Giza and Alexandria, including specialists appointed at courtrooms under the new laws, received the grant in recognitions of their achievement records exceeding normal rates.
The decision was met by skepticism from protesting specialists.
“The decision aims at convincing public opinion that the sit-in is over as it didn’t specify neither the number nor criteria of those specialists who received the grant, Mohamed Tahoon, spokesperson of protesting legal specialists, told Daily News Egypt.
“The finished cases that they received the grant for don’t exceed 2,000 cases, which won’t make much difference, Tahoon added.
Tahoon said that most of these specialists are newly appointed with a three-case per month rate. If they don’t meet requirements, they are threatened with heavy fines.
As the specialists’ sit-in entered its 39th day Thursday, MPs Saad Aboud, Gamal Zahran, Mohamed Abdel Aleem and Alaa Abdel Monem showed up at the sit-in to express their solidarity with the protestors.
“We will do all what we can through our legislative power to help communicate the new specialists’ law that the specialists would write themselves, Zahran said.
“The president ordered this problem to be solved; why isn’t it solved until now. Is there a secret power ruling the country? Aboud said.
Tahoon said that the specialists are still waiting for the president’s interference to solve the issue.
“The ministry insists on confining our demands to financial ones; we have a broad list of demands, Tahoon said.
