EGYPT: Partial university elections anger academics

As several of Egypt's 19 public universities prepare to elect their leaders for the first time, scores of academics are threatening strike action because of what they say is the government's failure to keep a promise to replace all university presidents and deans.

Setting the scene for the landmark election in September, the Ministry of Higher Education has delayed the commencement of the new academic year by two weeks, to start on 1 October. The election is set to fill 130 senior posts, making up 40% of the leading positions in Egypt's public universities.

They include the posts of eight university heads whose terms have expired. Meanwhile, the presidents of the universities of Cairo, Helwan, Fayyoum and Al-Wadi Al Gadeed have decided to resign, although their terms have not yet come to an end.

Presidents of the remaining seven public universities have refused to step down because their terms are still valid, saying they were not found to be involved in any irregularities.

Under new arrangements, presidents of universities will be chosen through an electoral college, while deans of colleges and department heads will be chosen through direct voting.

"Since the very beginning, university professors have been clear in their insistence that all leaders should be removed before the start of the new academic year and that all senior posts should be up for election," said Hani el-Husseini, a founding member of the pro-university independence March 9th Movement.

"We will again ask the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to change all university leaders appointed by the former regime," el-Husseini said, referring to the military council that has been in control of Egypt since a popular uprising toppled long-standing President Hosni Mubarak in February.

University staffers have said they have started collecting signatures to pressure the country's military rulers into approving a draft law to dismiss all university presidents and deans of colleges appointed by the Mubarak government.

As previously reported in University World News, protesting academics claim those leaders were appointed after approval from Mubarak's most-hated security agencies and because they had affiliations with the former ruling party.

"Around 83.5% of the teaching staffers in [public] universities opted for election as a way of choosing their leaders," said Minister of Higher Education Moataz Khorshid.

"Election will also be the way to fill other senior posts after the military council endorses the draft law," he said.

But this week local newspapers quoted Prime Minister Essam Sharaf as saying at a recent meeting with presidents of public universities that none of them will be forced to quit before their terms end.

And Sharaf allegedly ruled out the possibility of the military rulers endorsing a draft law on discharging all university leaders. There was no immediate comment from the government on the report.

"How come there will be two categories of university leaders - those who were appointed by the former regime and those by the newly elected one?" asked Awatef Abdel Rahman, a professor of media.

"These are only partial elections. As a result of this procedure, which university will be able to function properly?" Abdel Rahman is quoted as saying in Al Ahram Weekly.

Academics plan an emergency meeting in the capital Cairo on 11 September to decide on what they are terming escalatory action, including the threat of a strike.

According to a story on the website of dailynewsegypt.com, if it were to go ahead the planned "open strike" would commence on 17 September.


Comment

The election of university presidents and heads of department is a fantastic move. Congratulations for telling us.

Do you know any other country where they are elected in the same way?

Kanchan Srivastava