Following protests in Qena against the appointment of a Coptic governor with ties to Mubarak's regime, calls are growing for gubernatorial elections to replace the current system of appointments.
The 25 January Revolution Youth Coalition and the Revolutionary Youth Union issued statements Wednesday in support of demonstrators in Assiut, Alexandria, Qena, Kafr al-Sheikh and Daqahlia who oppose the appointment of new governors.
The coalition said that those who portray the Qena protests as sectarian are trying to divide people and veil the real objections to newly-appointed Governor Emad Mikhail — namely that he was a police major general under former President Hosni Mubarak.
As evidence, the coalition cited Christian participation in the protests.
According to the youth groups, Qena's situation demonstrates the need to assess the way governors are selected until a constitutional amendment can be drafted to allow for gubernatorial elections. According to their statement, the governor should be a civilian with no ties to corruption cases.
The coalition also urged a quick resolution to ongoing strife as the country needs economic and political stability.
