Mohamed Salmawy was re-elected as head of the Egyptian Writers' Union for a fourth time on Sunday. Ahmed Morsi was elected deputy leader. Sixty-nine candidates competed for 15 seats on the union's board on Friday. Eight board members were re-elected in the vote, including Salmawy. The board has 30 members, half of which are up for election every two years. The elections attracted less controversy and publicity than in previous years. Journalists did not attend the vote at the union’s headquarters in Zamalek. In previous years the elections were held at Al-Salam Theatre. In a statement after the vote, Salmawy vowed to promote the role of writers and intellectuals in preserving the Egyptian identity, which he claimed is being jeopardised. Writers and intellectual are the conscience of the nation, Salmawy said, but they cannot play an active role if culture is marginalised by Egypt’s new rulers. Salmawy, 67, is also general secretary of the General Union of Arab Writers, and was the editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram's French-language Hebdo newspaper. Salmawy has many published works in Arabic and other languages. His Arabic works include the plays I Shall Tell You All (1967), Come Back Tomorrow (1983), Salome (1986), Murderer at Large (1985), Next in Line (1983) and a book of short stories, The Man Who Regained His Memory (1983). From Ahram Online