US researcher reveals differences between Al-Sisi and the army

A US researcher has said that Egypt lacks any kind of political life since coup leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi took control of the country. This, said Michele Dunne, is unlike the situation during the rule of elected but ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

According to Dunne, there are differences within the nationalist camp which began six months after the eruption of serious conflicts between Al-Sisi and the country’s businessmen due to the tax and parliamentary electoral laws. She stressed that there may also be differences between Al-Sisi and the armed forces, as well as the security agencies, and noted that we need to wait for some time in order to figure out the truth behind these disputes.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Democracy, Dunne added that such issues make it difficult for Al-Sisi to establish and reinforce the foundations of his governance and authority in Egypt. This, she said, is the reason for his postponement of the parliamentary elections.

The researcher pointed out that Al-Sisi’s government completely excluded the Islamist camp, apart from Al-Nour Party, which is facing a sharp decline in its popularity. She described the liberal opposition as being a “shambles” at the moment, and said that it is regretting its support for Al-Sisi. Some members of the opposition are trying to work while others have retired from politics. ‬

“A third section of the liberals are those supporting Al-Sisi and trying to mobilise the media to support the government,” she suggested.