Bar association elections start today

More than 86,700 lawyers will flock to their main premises and branches in Egypt Saturday to elect a head and 24 council members for the Egyptian Bar Association.

Eleven candidates are vying for the top seat, most outstanding of whom are Rajai Atteya, the Shura Council member and a favourite by the ruling National Democratic Party, Sameh Ashour, a former MP who is favoured by the opposition Nasserist Party. Ahmad Nassar, a hopeful favoured by the opposition Wafd Party and Bahaa Abu Shoukka, a famous independent lawyer who enjoys the support of the majority of the Upper Egyptian colleagues.

The Bar Association was suspended on a judicial ruling after the death of its last head, Ahmad Al Khawaja in 1995. The last elections were held in 1992. Almost all candidates have adopted slogans demanding surmounting all partisan, ideological, political or religious loyalties and biases.

The head of the Egyptian Bar Association is automatically chairman of the Arab Lawyers Union, according to the statutory bill of the union.