Cairo -

Despite the wide interaction with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's decision to stop extending the state of emergency that has been in place in the country for years, this did not clearly cast a shadow on the positions of the opposition forces, and how they dealt with the decision.

The cautious and conditional welcome was a common feature among the representatives of the Egyptian opposition forces at home and abroad who responded to the question about how the decision was received, raising questions about its repercussions on the political scene, and defining steps and measures expected by the regime, before the opposition took steps that reflected its positive response to the decision. the decision.

A few days ago, Sisi announced that the state of emergency in force in the country for years would not be extended. He said through his official accounts on Facebook and Twitter, "Egypt has become, thanks to its great people and loyal men, an oasis of security and stability in the region."

In exchange for a sweeping welcome and widespread celebration by political figures who support the existing regime, opponents of the decision received skepticism and caution, while minimizing the expected impact of the decision on the political reality of the country, as well as the human rights reality that stirred many criticisms.

In light of the fading of the voices of the opposition forces at home and abroad for various considerations, some expressed their initial welcome to the decision, but they did not clearly see in it a thread extended by the regime that could be captured and brought together in a way that changes the image of the political scene.

I am glad that we share together that moment that we have always strived for by struggle and hard work. Egypt has become ... thanks to its great people and loyal men, an oasis of security and stability in the region;

Hence, I decided, for the first time in years, to cancel the extension of the state of emergency throughout the country.


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— Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) October 25, 2021

Al Jazeera Net spoke to Osama Suleiman, the new official spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, who is residing in Turkey;

Where he said that the group always affirms its readiness in principle to positively interact with any step in favor of political detainees and those affected by repressive policies, but the abolition of the state of emergency did not have any positive direction in this regard, after an arsenal of recently issued laws that enshrined the state of emergency as a legal asset and not an exception .

Suleiman added that what can be considered a positive sign that can be responded to is the amendment of the period of pretrial detention, allowing thousands of prisoners to leave their prison, or ruling the unconstitutionality of the terrorism law, especially the articles of establishing special departments for exceptional cases, which allows many of the convicts legal opportunities to abolish judgments issued in their regard.

Hence, Suleiman does not see "seriousness" in targeting the opening of the public sphere by the regime if such signals are not issued, claiming that the decision was aimed at exporting abroad, as a result of limited external pressures on the regime regarding the human rights situation.

The official spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood indicated that the group's reading of this step comes in the context of being attempts to beautify the formal and not substantive, in response to these pressures, stressing that the current conditions cannot continue, and that the conditions that led to the explosion of the "January Revolution" are present and increase with the passage of time. time, and that if it continues, the scenario of a social explosion will be likely again, and perhaps in a more ferocious manner, as the repression and security, economic and social pressure are more severe than the pre-2011 years.

negative attitude

On the other hand, the editor-in-chief of Al-Mashhad newspaper, Magdy Shendi, does not support the conservative position of the opposition towards the presidential initiative. Building bridges with the existing authority.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Shendi explained that this can be done by contributing to the discussion of issues and challenges facing the Egyptian state, especially those in which the gaps narrow between its position and the position of the authority, such as the Renaissance Dam crisis - for example, but not limited to - and other issues that are not imagined with it. Multiple national positions.

But Shendi - who had previously tasted some of the bitterness of the security services - believes that to convince the seriousness of the decision and the possibility of bringing about a real change in the internal policy, it must be accompanied by executive measures, including opening the public space to the movement of parties, and releasing the detainees in precaution as long as it does not represent that. Dangerous, return to normal litigation procedures.

He also pointed out that the opposition forces interacting with this new issue should not be involved in "acts of violence or support for terrorist acts, those who welcomed, cheered, or gloated over the victims of terrorist events. National grade,” as he described it.

positive reaction

Positive interaction with the decision to cancel the extension of the state of emergency is an acceptable path, according to what the leader of the "Tomorrow of the Revolution" party Ayman Nour sees, as he said that his party received him in a positive spirit, when they announced more than once that imposing and extending this state over the past years was unjustifiably contrary to stable texts of the constitution.

Nour - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - said that this step could be the beginning of showing due respect for the provisions of the constitution, and a cautious approach to the dreams and sacrifices of the Egyptian people, after "the infringements that were inflicted on the Egyptian constitution in what was known as the 2019 amendments", which can be built upon. If confirmed by a tangible reality.

But Nour believes that with positive reception of the decision, it cannot be satisfied with it to establish a different interaction by the opposition with the existing regime, as he stresses the need for the decision to follow tangible steps on the ground that show good intentions and the regime’s sincerity in its quest to unravel the existing political and human rights scene.

And the leader of the "Ghad al-Thawra" party - among these expected steps - enumerated the opening of the field for political action, the release of political detainees, the abolition of military trials of civilians, the dissolution of emergency courts, the lifting of the ban imposed on various media outlets and websites affiliated with press institutions, and real freedom of opinion and information. .

In this context, he considered that it was premature to anticipate a political interaction from the opposition with what Sisi announced, as a thread presented to it and required to capture it, as he reiterated the need for the decision to be effectively reflected in the political and human rights scene, in light of the fear of losing its effectiveness due to laws that have been issued During the last period.

Cancellation of the state of emergency be a kiss of life for political parties and forces and a new birth for freedom of opinion and intellectual diversity, or will the authority and executive laws keep the situation as it is pic.twitter.com/zKzwstELFt

— Halem Elginidy (@ElginidyHalem) October 26, 2021

Brotherhood crisis

Despite the apparent internal crisis that the Muslim Brotherhood is witnessing on the surface and the differences between its leaders, this does not absolve it from the need to interact with the decision to cancel the extension of the state of emergency, according to the group’s leader, Muhammad Sudan, Secretary of Foreign Relations of the Freedom and Justice Party (which the group founded after the “January Revolution”). And the authorities banned it after the army intervened in the summer of 2013 to oust the elected president, Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated with the group).

But Sudan made it clear that this required interaction would be through "exploiting this opportunity, by calling for the abolition of all exceptional detention laws, and by calling for the immediate release of all detainees in pretrial detention."

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, the leader of the Brotherhood went to the fact that Sisi's decision was the result of pressure from the international community related to human rights issues, and therefore he aims to relieve this pressure, but Sudan does not rule out that the regime will provoke a shocking event with which it decides to return to impose a state of emergency.

The former parliamentarian and leader of the Brotherhood, Ezz El-Din El-Koumi, believes that Sisi's announcement represents a "good and significant step" if it is put in its proper context, and followed by practical steps, such as improving the treatment of detainees, allowing visits and treatment, and other steps that demonstrate the seriousness of the decision.

But Al-Koumi - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - ruled out this from happening, claiming that Al-Sisi was not aiming with the decision to extend a thread to the opposition forces with the aim of improving the political situation in the country, but rather it is directed mainly abroad, and therefore Al-Koumi does not expect that the decision will follow steps that enhance the trend to resolve the scene .

However, the speaker asserts that the Brotherhood, as a major part of the opposition, according to his estimation, generally appreciates any step that promotes human rights, stops violations and promotes an end to the state of blockage of public horizons, and helps open the door for free expression of opinion.

Even before President El-Sisi’s decision to cancel the extension of the state of emergency throughout the country, the political system in Egypt had become more stable and solid for a while, with the weakness and failure of the opposition to gain popular support with an alternative program or a charismatic leader, refusing to repeat the revolution, achieving rates of economic growth and social projects facing slums.

— SAID SADEK (@saidsadek) October 25, 2021

unimpressive

On the other hand, political science professor Khairy Omar believes that there is no entity presently expressing the opposition in a real and effective way that can interact with such a decision to the extent that it leaves an impact on the political scene.

Omar indicates - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that the current opposition is confined to personalities whose expression cannot be imagined about large sectors of the Egyptian street, and therefore their views and positions only reflect the expression of their people and limited circles around them.

He points out in this context that the decision may represent a step to open the public sphere to businessmen and investors, in a way that can envision positive repercussions for their benefit and the system together. their presence in the political scene.

In this context, Omar points out that the Brotherhood's preoccupation with its crises and disputes within it, in addition to the lack of real effectiveness in its political options in general;

It reduces the possibility of it investing this given, and interacting with it as a thread that opens the way for it to contribute to resolving the current scene.