Cairo -

Reactions in Egypt varied to the announcement of the National Dialogue Department in Egypt to start its first session in the first week of next July, and to choose the President of the Journalists Syndicate, Diaa Rashwan, as general coordinator of the first political dialogue in the era of Sisi, since he came to power in the summer of 2014.

Rashwan's choice sparked controversy on social media. While some welcomed his choice as a general coordinator of the dialogue, some said that his choice might be a pre-evidence of the futility of the dialogue, and some expected it to turn into mere discussion sessions.

During the Egyptian family’s breakfast party, last April 26, Sisi assigned the management of the National Youth Congress, in coordination with the various political party and youth currents, to conduct a political dialogue without discrimination or exception, and to submit the results of this dialogue to him personally.

The National Dialogue Administration announces the selection of Diaa Rashwan as the general coordinator of the dialogue, and Mahmoud Fawzy as head of the Technical Secretariat # Dareen_Mustafa# eXtranews pic.twitter.com/CRFW3szYzE

— eXtra news (@Extranewstv) June 9, 2022

Rashwan and Fawzy

According to a statement by the Dialogue Department, which was carried by the official news agency, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (official), Mahmoud Fawzy, was chosen as head of the technical secretariat (in charge of preparing and organizing proposals), in addition to choosing Rashwan as a general coordinator.

The statement indicated that "the first tasks of the dialogue coordinator is to start consultations with political and union forces and all parties participating in the national dialogue to form a board of trustees of 15 members from representatives of all parties, public figures and experts."

The statement clarified that the National Training Academy (affiliated with the Presidency), which is entrusted with organizing the National Youth Conference, is limited in its work to organizational and logistical tasks, and to the formation of a supportive technical secretariat that is committed to "the approach of neutrality without interference in the content of dialogue."

The statement added that the technical secretariat "handed all the requests for participation and proposals submitted by the various groups of people to Diaa Rashwan, in preparation for their discussion and the start of the national dialogue sessions."

He explained that "all the details of the proposals will be announced in the coming days, while receiving requests to participate in the national dialogue, visions and proposals."

The National Dialogue Department announces the selection of #Diaa_Rashwan as the general coordinator of the dialogue..and #Mahmoud_Fawzi as head of the Technical Secretariat.


Details https://t.co/iZyluHfapd#a_sh_a #a_sh_a pic.twitter.com/wJFB01Ub2l

— Middle East News Agency (MENA) (@mena_arabic) June 8, 2022

Controversy over Diaa Rashwan

A number of parties, organizations, and public figures welcomed Rashwan's selection as the general coordinator of the national dialogue, and praised his choice, given Rashwan's extensive experience and distinguished relations with most Egyptian political currents.

On the other hand, some saw that choosing Rashwan means emptying the dialogue from its political content and turning it into discussion panels closer to conferences.

Some expressed their optimism about choosing Rashwan, not for his ability to make the dialogue successful, but for his previous participation in a national dialogue called by the late Egyptian intelligence director Omar Suleiman during the January 2011 revolution, which ended with the fall of the regime.

The choice of brother and friend Diaa Rashwan as the general coordinator of the national dialogue is a successful choice, he won a general consensus from everyone, he has the ability to manage the dialogue objectively and his experience in this field is wide, which is a common denominator among all, and the selection of the venerable advisor Mahmoud Fawzy as head of the technical secretariat will represent

— Mustafa Bakri (@BakryMP) June 9, 2022

Dialogue cannot be a conspiracy

Public opinion is more aware than ever.


With this confidence, I continue to announce the date of the #NationalDialogue, and I wish the best of luck to Mr. Diaa Rashwan, the General Coordinator of the Dialogue.

Every improvement in the public sphere is a benefit to the whole community.

Every dialogue to end the suffering of those affected is appreciated and respected.

pic.twitter.com/BVJgGr3Z6q

— Fathy AbouHatab (@fmhatab) June 9, 2022

Why does the national dialogue remain


in Cairo alone, in which representatives of the national forces participate?

Why does the dialogue remain vertical without expanding its mass base to extend horizontally as well and extend across the governorates of Egypt?!


All support


for the journalist writer Ahmed Refaat, and the article is published in Al-Watan newspaper 9/6/2022

- Dr.

Muhammad Radwan (@mawadddr) June 9, 2022

Sisi's enthusiasm for holding the national dialogue appears to have cooled.


Why do you see?

pic.twitter.com/SOxbF5elDS

— Nayel Shafei (@nayelshafei) June 9, 2022

And the campaign of #media _ arms started via satellite channels on the #national_dialogue;


Or say it's a deaf dialogue!!


Arrangements for dialogue begin with exclusion, marginalization, treason and exclusion,


then bullying any opposing opinion,


so that one opinion remains and the chorus hums around it.

— Dr. Mustafa Gaweesh (@drmgaweesh) June 9, 2022

Diaa Rashwan has been chosen as the general coordinator of the National Dialogue.


Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi interviewing Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.# Al-Hawar_National pic.twitter.com/lSv6kv3iwB

— hatim (@hatimny) June 9, 2022

Choosing Diaa Rashwan as General Coordinator of the National Dialogue


, so she was among the first.. A speech that will not differ much from the youth forums of Sharm El-Sheikh

— AHMAD LOTFI (@AHMADLO13219562) June 8, 2022

Diaa Rashwan is the one who led the national dialogue in 2011, led by Omar Suleiman. Here we ask God for forgiveness 😀😀

— Khaled (@exguide20) June 8, 2022

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had directed, during his speech at a presidential iftar last Ramadan, to hold a "national dialogue with all political forces without exception or discrimination about the priorities of national action at the current stage" for the first time since he came to power.

Al-Sisi demanded that he “personally submit the results of this dialogue,” with his promise to attend the final stages of it, in addition to directing him to reactivate the work of the presidential pardon committee (formed in late 2016), and to release a number of politicians, and said in his speech that “the nation accommodates all of us.” And that "a difference of opinion does not spoil the homeland an issue."

The reactions of the Egyptian political forces at home and abroad varied, between supporters and opponents, regarding Sisi's rare call for a political dialogue, in light of unprecedented economic challenges the country is going through.

The reactions were divided into 3 sections, the first is absolutely supportive, the second is cautiously welcomed, and the majority of them are from the political forces inside that have been marginalized since Sisi came to power in 2014. .