Campus ban on political parties sparks crackdown fears

A ban by the Egyptian authorities on political party activities at universities has raised fears among students and academics of a crackdown by the ruling Islamists.

The decision, announced by the Higher Council for Universities – a government agency overseeing higher education institutions and policy in Egypt – came shortly after independent and liberal students beat Islamist rivals in student union elections at most public universities.

“Egyptians have an acute political awareness after the revolution and it is hard to exclude universities from this framework,” said Hassan Nafaa, a professor at Cairo University's political science school.

He was referring to the 2011 revolution that ended former president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule and brought the long-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to power.

"The Muslim Brotherhood used to call for removing curbs on political activities on campus under the Mubarak regime. So why does it seek to block these activities now that it is in power?" Nafaa said to the state-run newspaper Al Ahram.

He added that under Mubarak, the then governing National Democratic Party dominated Egypt's universities. "In the past, we suffered from rigging elections of student unions and teaching staff in favour of those loyal to Mubarak and his party.

“We will not allow this to happen again."

Non-Islamist students, meanwhile, are concerned that the Brotherhood is trying to tighten its grip on universities after the recent defeat of Islamist students at the ballot box.

"The ban on political parties reflects fears about the influence of revolutionary and liberal powers after their big victory in the student union elections," said Sami Ahmed, an art student and a member of the anti-Brotherhood Revolutionary Coalition.

To Ahmed Khalef, head of the student union at Cairo University's political science school, the ban may signal a bid to control activities on campuses. "This will be unacceptable. We'll strongly defend universities' independence," he said.

He cited what he called attempts to revive the notorious former role of security agencies at state-owned universities. These agencies had a big say in naming administrators of universities and stifling opposition on campuses under the Mubarak regime.

Officials at the Higher Council for Universities, however, played down the controversy over the ban.

"The issue does not deserve all this furore because the ban on activities of political parties on campus has been in place for long years and is routinely renewed," said council President Ashraf Hatem.

"The regulations, on the basis of which the latest student union elections were held, include this ban, although they do not prohibit discussion on political issues or problems facing society," he added.

"We are not against practising politics inside universities. Still, universities should not turn into places for publicising political parties, especially as the country is on the threshold of parliamentary elections," said Hatem, referring to the national poll expected this summer.