CAIRO - One of the new owners of an independent newspaper, whose editor-in-chief was sacked last week, sold Sunday his share to a co-partner, who rejected demands by the newspaper's staff to reinstate its editor.
"The board members of the Al-Dostour newspaper will be announced by the end of this week, chosen exclusively from shareholders according to their quotas," said Reda Edward, the chief executive of the newspaper.
Edward, who bought el-Sayyed el-Badawi’s stake, rejected a demand by the staff of the newspaper to reinstate the sacked chief editor Ibrahim Eissa, who is known for his anti-Government views.
"No return for Eissa. This is the board’s final decision," Edward said, adding that Al-Dostour staff had to accept this.
Edward lashed out at Al-Dostour journalists, urging them to end their sit-in at the headquarters of the newspaper. "This is blackmail," Edward said.
The journalists, meanwhile, issued a statement, rejecting Edward’s remarks, describing him as "ignorant about managing a newspaper like Al-Dostour".
Ibrahim Eissa said he was dismissed because he insisted on publishing an article by Mohamed ElBaradie, the former head of UN nuclear inspectors, who is mooted as a potential presidential opposition candidate.
Eissa is known for his scathing critiques of the Government. He was accused of harming the country's economy and sentenced to two months jail in 2008 after found guilty of spreading false news about President Hosni Mubarak's health. Mubarak later Pardoned him.
