Egyptian Journalists Syndicate’s midterm election sees low turnout so far: Miri

CAIRO – 2 April 2021: Undersecretary of the Journalists Syndicate Khaled Miri said only 900 journalists have registered to vote in the syndicate’s mid-term election held on Friday, representing less than half of the quorum required.

Miri announced extending the registration until 2 P.M. over the low turnout and to compensate the time of the Friday prayers. Journalists started registering at 10 A.M. today.

In order for the elections to be held, more than 25%+1 of the syndicate members have to be present, which is more than double of the number that has registered so far.

The syndicate earlier ordered adjourning its midterm elections to April 2 instead of March 19 and holding them in the open air in Cairo amid coronavirus concerns.

The adjournment comes after authorities refused its request to hold the elections in a large tent outside its headquarters in Abdel Khalek Tharwat street, downtown Cairo.

The Syndicate thinks that holding elections inside its premises in accordance with the law poses a major threat to the safety and health of the voters due to the pandemic.

This adjournment also comes after a preventive medicine report from the Health Ministry affirmed that precautionary measures against coronavirus cannot be followed in the elections inside the syndicate’s headquarters.

The midterm vote of the Syndicate is held every two years for a new head and half of the board members (six out of 12). There are 8,861 eligible voting members.

Currently, six candidates are competing on the syndicate head post, currently held by Diaa Rashwan, while 55 candidates are competing for board seats.

Rashwan, 60, served as head of the Press Syndicate from 2013 to 2015 and was again reelected in 2019.

He has been a strong opposer to the government of late Muslim Brotherhood leader and President Mohamed Morsi and a strong supporter to the 2013 Revolution that ousted the president.

He also took part in the 50-member constitution committee in 2013 to draft Egypt's current constitution.