CAIRO, April 21 (Reuters) - Protesters in a southern Egyptian city insisted on Thursday their new Christian governor resign, stepping up a week-long challenge to his appointment by the country's military rulers.
The army generals ruling Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak's ouster appointed Emad Mikhail, a Copt and a senior former officer in Egypt's vilified police force, as governor of Qena province earlier this month.
But he has so far not taken up his post because thousands of demonstrators have contested the decision, resorting to the same people-power that ended Mubarak's 30-year rule in February.
Protesters have blocked highways and railway tracks leading to Qena, a province with a large Coptic Christian population and whose previous governor was also a Christian.
They have also surrounded the governor's office, vowing to prevent Mikhail from ever entering.
"Mikhail, Mikhail, you're never coming here," protesters chanted.
Ibrahim Saadani, one of the protesters, told Reuters by telephone: "We do not want someone from the previous regime and worst still from the police force as governor. The revolution came to change the previous regime but we are not seeing new faces."
The protesters said they would hold a big rally on Friday to force Mikhail's resignation and would not negotiate with a government envoy sent from Cairo to resolve the matter.
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