Ayman Nour — “Egypt's choice is clear: Democracy – or chaos under Sisi” (Middle East Eye op-ed), 23 January 2020

On 25 January, Egyptians will celebrate the ninth anniversary of the revolution. […]

Nine years on, Egypt has become one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Popular anger has reached a turning point, as evidenced by recent protests.

[…] with more than 60,000 political prisoners, including more than 300 on hunger strike, repression has reached unprecedented levels in Egypt. Treating Sisi with such honour is both morally wrong and strategically senseless.

The Arab Spring, which has shaken the region since 2011, has offered a choice whereby human dignity, freedom and rule of law are the fundamental indicators of what is right or wrong, as opposed to religion, nationality, or social or political background.

[…] Whether we are centrists, liberals, leftists or Islamists does not matter in comparison to the values that unite us: democracy, human dignity, justice, equality and freedom. After more than six years of Sisi's vicious rule, the Arab Spring spirit has never left our minds.

All of the ingredients for a new uprising are here. Poverty is rising, with six out of 10 Egyptians either poor or vulnerable […]. In the meantime, opacity and graft appear to be the only governing mechanisms, with a significant portion of the economy belonging to the military.

[…] I have no doubt that Sisi and his cronies will fall, and we in the opposition are getting ready for that day. The Arab Spring is not over. […] A genuine democratic transition will benefit everyone, especially compared with the chaos that will come if Sisi's rule continues.