Konaisi resigns as request to amend Media Syndicate's law rejected

CAIRO - 25 December 2018: Head of Media Syndicate Hamdi al-Konaisi announced on Tuesday delivering his resignation letter to the Egyptian president after a parliamentary committee rejected amending some articles of the syndicate's law issued two years ago.

Konaisi said in a statement that he was shocked as the head of the Parliament's Culture, Media and Antiquities committee rejected to amend the articles of the law organizing the establishment of the Media Syndicate without consulting the House's Legislative Committee.

Slamming accusations of seeking personal interests, Konaisi said that he accepted the post despite knowing about the articles of the law preventing his candidacy for the first election to be held for the board of directors.

He pointed out that requests to "save" the syndicate's law from six articles that contradict with the law and the Constitution were issued by a number of MPs, who stressed the need to review these articles, adding that Egypt's Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Magdi al-Agati also rejected the articles.

MP Jalila Othman, deputy head of the Culture, Media and Antiquities Committee, told Masrawy that Konaisi attempted to circumvent amending the syndicate's law to stay in office and to get re-nominated as the chairman of the syndicate.

In January 2017, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi issued a law establishing a syndicate for audio-visual media personnel, following the Parliament’s approval. The Media Syndicate is responsible for regulating audio-visual media practices, defending its members, and punishing violators.