Student movements have called for opening candidacy applications for student union elections this week, urging civil society oversight over the process.
In a press conference on Sunday, student movements affiliated with the April 6 Youth Movement, Revolutionary Socialists, Misr al-Qawia, Dostour Party, the Popular Current along with the Bread and Liberty Party demanded amendments to what they described the “flawed” student union regulations for elections.
They specifically asked to change a provision which requires applicants for the presidency of certain student activity societies to have a record of “notable activity” in the same field.
The movements declared an intention protest throughout the universities of Cairo, Ain Shams, Helwan and Mansoura to urge expedience in holding the elections.
Student union elections are held with the start of every academic year, that is usually in September. But elections have not been held for almost two years, with the last poll carried out in March 2013.
Laws regulating student unions have been a problematic issue between students and the Higher Education Ministry since the 2011 uprising as students vied for more campus freedoms away from old, alleged restrictions under former president Hosni Mubarak.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
