The Interior Ministry denied on Monday that it intervenes in university affairs, despite Al-Masry Al-Youm's obtaining of a Cairo University security report that details the ministry's thoughts on candidates running in the upcoming university elections. In a statement, the ministry said its National Security Agency - which in March replaced the much-maligned State Security Investigation Services - has not interfered in the recent elections for faculty deans and section heads. Al-Masry Al-Youm had earlier obtained a copy of a security report that contained information about candidates for certain university posts. The report categorized candidates based on their popularity, stance toward existing academic leadership, and political and intellectual orientations. Several candidates were classified as "[Muslim] Brotherhood," "liberal," "rational," anti-administration," "Brotherhood-skeptic," "9 March member," "respectable," "unpopular" and "not politically-oriented." The compilation of the report ahead of the elections, which are set to take place later this month, is viewed by some as a sign that the Cairo University administration aims to unfairly influence the outcome of the poll. During the Mubarak era, university adminstrations were known to use such information to rig elections in favor of their preferred candidates and against their enemies, often relying on security departments with active links to the State Security Investigation Services. Translated from the Arabic Edition
