Tripoli Bar Association: Elie Daher, one of three candidates, withdraws from race

TRIPOLI — Elie Daher, one of the three candidates running for head of the Tripoli Bar Association presidency, announced on Thursday he is withdrawing from the race. Daher was set to run in the elections for the Administrative Committee of the North Lebanon capital's bar against Marwan Daher and Chawki Sassine.

According to L'Orient Today's information, Elie Daher, who was running as an independent (like the other two candidates) was supported by the Lebanese Forces, as well as lawyers close to Tripoli MP Ashraf Rifi, Independence Movement leader Michel Moawad, al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya, and also had the support of several former bar presidents, including Michel Khoury. His running mate for a Committee member seat is Zaher Matraji, who will face off against Nabhane Haddad.

The leadership of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) had decided to support Marwan Daher, but many lawyers affiliated with the party opposed this decision. In this context, a meeting was held last week at Rifi's home with FPM-affiliated lawyers and several others allied with the Lebanese Forces and Michel Moawad. The discussions focused on their refusal to vote for Marwan Daher, as well as whether Elie Daher or Shawki Sassine would be willing to withdraw in favor of the other, in order to bolster chances against Marwan Daher.

Meanwhile in the capital

Beirut Bar Association elections play to the beat of political alliances

The election of a new bar president in Tripoli will take place on Nov. 9, and elections for the Beirut Bar Association will be held on Nov. 16.

In Tripoli, 1,559 lawyers have paid their annual dues and are therefore eligible to vote. In addition to electing a bar president for a two-year term, lawyers in northern Lebanon will choose a Committee member for a three-year term.

The Committee has six members and is renewed by one-third each year. Since the association’s creation in 1921, the presidency of the Tripoli Bar has alternated between Christian and Muslim lawyers: a Christian succeeds a Muslim and vice versa. This year, the successor to current president Sami Hassan will be a Christian.

Additionally, by tradition, when the bar president to be elected is a Christian, the Committee member seat must be filled with a candidate from the Muslim community, and vice versa.