Egypt’s Socialists have criticized what they describe as "economic and political failures", as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi concludes his first year in office this month.
“The economic and social vision has been absent from the Egyptian economy over the past year, we have experienced flagrant social discrimination in many disconnected projects, which neither strengthen the economy nor achieve social justice”, said the Socialist Popular Alliance Party.
“The reliance on foreign loans and aid continues, while citizens have not sensed any improvement in their living conditions”, the party said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, the government’s plan to gradually remove subsidies came at the expense of the poor rather than the rich classes.
Also, the projects resulting from the investors' conference in Sharm el-Sheikh in mid-March have failed to address the needs of low-income citizens.
Speaking about politics in Sisi’s first year in office, the party said the government has delayed the parliamentary elections and tolerated religiously-oriented political parties, such as the Nour Party, in violation of the Constitution.
With regard to freedoms, the party has criticized what it described as the return police violence against citizens “both at police stations and in the street”, pointing to a surge in incidents of torture and forced disappearances of activists. The party argued that police violence is “the primary catalyst for terrorism”.
Party member Shaimaa al-Sabbagh was shot dead by a police officer during a symbolic march commemorating the 2011 uprising last January.
“We are looking forward to revoking the Protest Law and the release of detainees in cases related to peaceful protests”, read the statement, which also accused the government of maintaining the longtime restrictions on labor freedoms, by failing to adopt a law on the freedom of labor association.
The party, however, has praised the government’s foreign policy.
“During the last year, Egypt has achieved some successes, such breaking the international isolation and winning recognition of the regime. This success was reflected in the turnout at the Sharm al-Sheikh conference”, the statement read, praising what it described as developments in relations with Africa, Russia and China.
