Up to 85 percent of Egyptians agree on the “sons of garbage collectors” being appointed to positions in the judiciary if they have the required qualifications, according to a new poll from the Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research (Baseera).
Egypt’s previous justice minister Mahfouz Saber resigned on Monday, following widespread criticism of him saying on TV that, even with a law degree, "sons of garbage collectors” did not have the right social background to become judges.
In the poll, 66 percent of respondents “strongly agreed” that the qualified children of “garbage collectors” should be able to become judges, while 19 percent “agreed”.
Baseera found that Egyptians who believed social background to be irrelevant in the appointment of judges were of a higher socio-economic status than other respondents.
Only 4 percent of those polled “rejected” the idea of judges from low-class backgrounds, while 4 percent “strongly rejected” it.
A remaining 7 percent were unsure about their views.
“The cabinet respects all layers of society and appreciates the working class in particular, and is convinced that they are involved in shaping of the future of this nation,” Egypt's Premier Ibrahim Mahlab said on Monday, after receiving Mahfouz’ resignation.
Over 26.3 percent of Egyptians live below the poverty line, according to the latest statistics from the United Nations Development Programme in Egypt.
