Electoral campaigns of candidates intensified only two days before the midterm election of Egypt’s Press Syndicate scheduled on Friday over the president and six seats in the syndicate’s board council.
Eleven candidates are running for the syndicate’s president, and 51 others are competing over six board seats.
The current President of the Press Syndicate, Abdel Mohsen Salama, will not compete for a second term.
The Head of State Information Service (SIS), Diaa Rashwan, is running for the syndicate’s president after his previous term in 2013.
Posters of the candidates, including their electoral programmes, spread widely in the vicinity of the syndicate. The campaigning also continued to the surrounding streets of the syndicate. Some of the candidates sent SMS to registered journalists to remind them of the date of the elections and motivate them to participate.
According to the syndicate’s bylaws, a quorum of 50% + 1 of all general assembly members is required for the elections to go ahead.
A second round would take place on 2 March for the president’s seat, if no candidate has an absolute majority of votes (more than half) in the first round. In case of non-completion of the quorum of the Assembly, the election will be held two weeks later on 15 March, with a quorum of 25% of general assembly members.
