Egypt election: Democracy or return to past?
Egyptians have started voting in parliamentary elections critics question will make any difference.
Parliamentary elections are under way in Egypt, in a step meant to transition to democracy after two years of unrest and violence. Egypt has had no parliament since 2012.
A coup carried out by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, then minister of defence, a year later saw the Muslim Brotherhood banned and branded a terrorist organisation. The opposition was also silenced through a number of repressive measures.
Sisi went on to become Egypt’s president last year. Many crictics now say the next parliament will largely back Sisi.
So, will Egypt’s next parliament make any difference?
Presenter: Martine Dennis
Guests:
Samer Shehata – Associate Professor of Middle East Politics and International Relations at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
Maha Azzam – Head of the Egyptian Revolutionary Council.
Salah Abou-El-Fadl – Member of the Social Democratic Party in Egypt.