CAIRO: An opposition group launched a campaign against Lawyers’ Syndicate Chairman Hamdy Khalifa, demanding the withdrawal of confidence from him and a redo of the elections.
The National Front for the Independence of Lawyers is arguing that the current board is weak and unable to make decisions. This comes after Khalifa retracted his decision to dissolve all the affiliate syndicates nationwide.
He had announced last week that the affiliate syndicates have been dissolved because their term officially ended four months ago. He added they weren’t dissolved earlier because the timing coincided with the general syndicate’s elections.
The National Front for the Independence of Lawyers has expressed its disappointment and concern at the “political chaos at the syndicate under the current board. This may have serious repercussions that might lead to the syndicate’s collapse, they said in a press release on their official website.
“We are deeply concerned with what is going on at the syndicate under the current board, the syndicate is losing its power and is on the verge of a breakdown, said Sayed Abdel Ghany, general coordinator of the National Front for the Independence of Lawyers.
On the other hand, Khalifa’s supporters say they respect his vision and the decisions he is making. “This chairman has been elected democratically by the majority of the general assembly . everything takes time and nothing happens overnight, we have to respect his vision, said Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, lawyer and member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Khalifa claims that this campaign is merely propaganda by the syndicate’s former chairman Sameh Ashour and his supporters. He explained that he formed a committee at the affiliate syndicates to take over before the elections are held so they wouldn’t be left without leadership.
Khalifa is also accused of ordering the harassment of journalists so they wouldn’t cover the board meetings, however he refuted saying that it was Ashour’s supporters who are responsible for that, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.
