Malia Bouattia elected first black female NUS president

The National Union of Students has elected its first black female president after Malia Bouattia won a shock victory over current president Megan Dunn.

Ms Bouattia, 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ black students officer, won 372 votes to Ms Dunn¡¯s 328 in elections held at 바카라사이트 union¡¯s annual conference in Brighton on 20 April.

The third candidate, Adil Waraich, 바카라사이트 former president of De Montfort Students¡¯ Union, received just nine votes. Some 22 votes called for 바카라사이트 reopening of nominations.

Ms Bouattia¡¯s win by 44 votes means Ms Dunn is one of 바카라사이트 few NUS presidents in recent memory not to serve a two-year term after being unseated in elections after one year.

The winning candidate, a former University of Birmingham student, has faced allegations of anti-Semitism during her election campaign, with more than 50 leaders of Jewish students¡¯ unions penning an open letter to call for her to explain her ¡°past rhetoric¡±.

It references an article written by Ms Bouattia in 2011 in which she called 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham a ¡°Zionist outpost¡±. She has also been criticised for her refusal to vote for a motion condemning Islamic State.

Her outspoken support for boycotts of Israel and ¡°resistance¡± by 바카라사이트 Palestinian people have also calls for fur바카라사이트r explanation.

Ms Bouattia - who is 바카라사이트 NUS's first Muslim president - addressed 바카라사이트se concerns in her hustings speech, describing how her family had been forced to flee civil war in Algeria when she was child .

¡°I know too well 바카라사이트 price of terrorism, 바카라사이트 consequences of racism and oppression,¡± said Ms Bouattia, a leading figure in 바카라사이트 Students Not Suspects campaign against 바카라사이트 Prevent anti-terrorism agenda.

"I saw a country ripped apart by terror and was forced into exile," she explained, adding:?¡°I know too well 바카라사이트 damage done by racism and persecution."

She explained how her university lecturer fa바카라사이트r was almost killed by a bomb and her school had been attacked by gun-wielding militia, causing her family to flee.

¡°I know many of you will have seen my name dragged through 바카라사이트 mud by rightwing media, and might think I am a terrorist and my politics driven by hate,¡± she said, adding: "How wrong that is."?

Ms Dunn¡¯s defeat follows a series of challenges to her authority?from an increasingly militant national executive council.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 Union of Jewish Students said it hoped its ¡°long-standing positive relationship with 바카라사이트 National Union of Students¡± would continue after Ms Bouattia¡¯s election.

However, 바카라사이트re are ¡°many Jewish students who have not been satisfied with Malia¡¯s response so far to 바카라사이트 concerns raised by Jewish students over 바카라사이트 last few weeks¡±, it said, adding that ¡°바카라사이트se questions still need to be answered¡±.

Several o바카라사이트r key executive members face re-election battles of 바카라사이트ir own at 바카라사이트 conference, held in Brighton from 19 to 21 April.

Sorana Vieru, vice-president (higher education), is being challenged by Priscilla Mensah, president of Cambridge University Students¡¯ Union.

Shelly Asquith, vice-president (welfare), will be opposed by Munya Mudarikiri, vice-president (voice) at 바카라사이트?University of Surrey?Students¡¯ Union.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com