Lawyers Syndicate candidates launch campaigns

Lawyers Syndicate candidates started campaigning Monday for the syndicate's council and presidential elections, which will take place 15 October.

Nominations began 28 August and will end Thursday.

Supports for Montasser al-Zayyat, an Islamic candidate running for syndicate chief, and Mokhtar Nouh, a former Muslim Brotherhood member, hung posters in the syndicate and handed out flyers. However, Nouh hadn't submitted his candidacy papers yet.

Mohamed Tosson, spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc at the syndicate, said the group will submit its papers on Tuesday and declare its stance toward the other candidates.

Tosson said the Brotherood’s final decision is not to compete for the chief post and that the group hadn’t stated yet the candidate whom it will support.

Candidate Sameh Ashour said he wants to get the syndicate back to the political scene from which it withdrew during the January revolution, due to what he called the former council's reluctance to defend freedom.

Seven lawyers have officially nominated themselves for syndicate's top position. The other nominees include Mohamed Kamel, Hassan Ragab and Mohamed Raafat.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.