November 6, 2016 11 News & Analysis Sisi in Herculean effort to win over Egypt’s youth

Ahmed Megahid to, mainly those who agreed with him. “Those the president did not want to hear are now either in jail or in total desperation,” said Gamal nly a few metres sepa- Eid, a rights advocate and an out- rated President Abdel spoken critic of Sisi. “They are in Fattah al-Sisi, his prime their thousands.” minister and a host of cabinet ministers seat- Sisi accepted Oed in the front row and a group of criticism and young people on the stage of a con- listened attentively ference hall in the Red Sea resort of to young people’s Sharm el-Sheikh in late October. suggestions. Those on the stage had been invited to speak about involving young people in solving Egypt’s Eid and other rights activists es- problems. timate the number of revolution- One speaker suggested revolu- ary youth in Egypt’s jails at 60,000. tionising the education system to Most of them were at the forefront make pupils partners, not mere of the revolution that brought recipients. Another said automat- down long-standing president ing administrative processes was in 2011. Some of indispensable. A third spoke of the them were at the heart of the mass need for media freedom. protests that helped oust Islam- Sisi, much of the time listen- ist president Muhammad Morsi in ing and scribbling notes, said the 2013 and Sisi’s subsequent election speakers needed to be realistic. as president. “Before speaking, you need to The objectives of the revolution, ensure that you can translate your namely increased freedoms and thoughts into action or you will be social justice, are far from mate- misleading the public,” he said. rialising and Egypt is a long way He also said his mission was to from being the country the revo- ensure that Egypt would survive lutionaries envisaged when they its current challenges. poured onto Cairo’s Tahrir Square Sisi’s remarks might have re- in 2011. vealed the disconnect between Egypt’s young people have been those who rule Egypt and its young largely absent from political par- people, who make up almost 60% ticipation. Relatively few could of the population of 91 million, be seen voting in the presidential with a third under the age of 15. election that put Sisi in power in 2014 and even fewer at the parlia- Egypt is a long way mentary elections that followed in from being the 2015. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C), flanked by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail (L) and former prime But Sisi has been seriously try- minister Ibrahim Mehleb attend a conference on youth in Sharm el-Sheikh, on October 26th. (AP) country the ing to develop ties to these young revolutionaries people. envisaged. Sisi participated in almost all As he listened, Sisi often agreed, aly Harb, one of the Tahrir Square post-revolution governments and sessions of the three-day Sharm promised to act. At times, he revolutionaries and an opponent expressed deep mistrust in Sisi’s el-Sheikh conference, including cracked jokes. He said he would of Sisi. rule. “The president wanted to listen debating other attendees. He ac- form a committee to study the cas- To demonstrate the challenges “There is no democracy and the to youth in preparation for enlist- cepted criticism and listened at- es of imprisoned youth and release facing Sisi in uniting Egypt’s youth president’s talk about empower- ing their help in running Egypt’s tentively to young people’s sug- those wrongly convicted. behind him, Harb and disaffected ing youth is always betrayed by the affairs,” Assistant Youth Minister gestions. That promise came as his oppo- young people organised an online actions of his security agencies,” Youssef Wardani said. “The confer- Some participants lambasted nents prepared for what they hope conference parallel to the Sharm Harb said. “He cannot claim that ence was the first serious attempt Egypt’s protest law, which has led to be major protests against him on el-Sheikh event. there is freedom when thousands by the presidency to contain these to thousands of arrests. Others November 11th. They lashed out at the jailing of of innocent people are in jail.” youth.” called for improving the working Those with whom the president thousands of their friends, criti- Some critics say Sisi saw and conditions of the country’s medi- joked were not representative of cised the lack of freedoms, lam- Ahmed Megahid is an Egyptian heard only the people he wanted cal doctors, among other demands. Egypt’s youth, said Shady el-Ghaz- basted the successive failures of reporter based in Cairo. Egypt floats currency amid social, political tensions

Local media reported that police While the reforms and the IMF The Arab Weekly staff arrested a man in Cairo who was loan are expected to strengthen carrying 10 kg of sugar, saying this Egypt’s economy in the long term, Cairo exceeded the “reasonable amount they are likely to cause a sharp rise for personal use”. in imported goods prices in the he Egyptian Central Egypt’s Central Bank announced short run at a time when costs are Bank’s decision to float November 3rd that it would allow already skyrocketing and the country’s currency the pound to float in value, which expressed discontent with the in- aims to alleviate eco- immediately devalued the currency creases. nomic crises that have in- by approximately 48%. “We welcome the Central Bank Tcreased political pressure on Presi- of Egypt’s decision to liberalise dent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with calls We appreciate the the foreign exchange system and for nationwide protests on Novem- adopt a flexible exchange rate re- ber 11th. country’s gime. This will make more foreign There has been increasing dissat- situation. We are exchange available,” IMF Mission isfaction among Egyptians towards going through a Chief for Egypt Chris Jarvis said in the government and its economic a statement. policies, particularly following a very tough “The flexible exchange rate re- sugar crisis that is seen as a case situation. gime, where the exchange rate is study of the country’s financial Prime Minister ” determined by market forces, will woes. Sherif Ismail improve Egypt’s external com- In a country where an estimated petitiveness, support exports and 20% of the population has diabetes tourism and attract foreign invest- and in which sugar, along with oth- Cairo had been trying to maintain ment.” er staples, is subsidised by the gov- an artificially strong pound at 8.8 Questions over subsidies and ernment, the commodity is viewed pounds per US dollar when the rate shortages of basic foods are particu- as a necessity, not a luxury. was closer to 18 pounds per dollar larly sensitive in a country that has Egypt imports approximately on black market. had two revolutions since 2011 and 1 million tonnes of sugar a year “This aims to eliminate trading of in which the 1977 food riots haunt — about one-third of its total con- the currency on the black market, the popular imagination. sumption but a worsening currency boost the economy and achieve Speaking before the decision to crisis and the imposition of a 20% higher growth rates,” a Central Bank liberalise Egypt’s foreign exchange import tariff in April 2015 to protect statement said. “This will help end system, Egyptian Prime Minister local producers cut sugar imports, fluctuation in currency markets in a Sherif Ismail told parliament: “We leaving the market short and driv- manner that reflects the real power appreciate the country’s situation. ing up prices. of supply and demand.” We are going through a very tough Cairo announced that the price The move meets one of the re- situation.” of subsidised sugar would increase quirements demanded to qualify The government also announced 40% — from 36 to 50 US cents per for a 3-year, $12 billion Internation- fuel hikes of 30.5-46.8%. Ismail kilogram — on November 1st and al Monetary Fund (IMF) loan that said the economic measures were warned against hoarding sugar. Cairo desperately needs. Another in compliance with IMF require- Authorities seized 9,000 tonnes requirement is cutting Egypt’s ments and sought to improve living Egyptians gather to buy subsidised sugar from a government truck of sugar in raids on factories and subsidies programmes, including conditions for Egyptians in the long after a sugar shortage in retail stores across the country in Cairo, warehouses across the country. sugar. term. last October. (Reuters)