Over 400 public Egyptian figures signed on Saturday a petition rejecting a decision by a higher education ministry committee that annulled the results of the recent election of the nationwide students union.

Those who signed the petition include public figures such as parliamentarians, rights activists and lawyers.

The petition also calls on President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to “interfere to stop the farce of meddling in the student’s free will” and to “increase the confidence gap between students and the political system.”

Meanwhile on Sunday, student representatives from at least 14 Egyptian universities agreed to meet in Cairo, to discuss their next steps after the nullification of the elections decision for elections to be held again.

The controversy began last week when the committee organised by the higher education ministry accepted an appeal that nullified the candidature and election of Zagazig University student Ahmed Attia for the post of vice-president of the Zagazig student union in the Nile Delta province of Sharqiya.

The nullification of Attia’s election to the post of vice-president now means that the candidacy for the position will be re-opened, as will the position of president of the student union at Zagazig University.

On Thursday, various student movements denounced the decision, claiming that it was based on the fact that independent student representatives won a large number of seats.

Student elections, which were cancelled for the last two years, took place on 16 November.