Egypt Daily Update: Khaled Ali: “Anyone Could Defeat Sisi” June 8, 2017 Khaled Ali: “Anyone Could Defeat Sisi” Egyptian Parliamentary Delegation to Visit Washington on Saturday Egypt’s Annual Inflation Drops Slightly for First Time since Pound Float Cartoon of the Day: Mada Masr is Still Blocked Top Stories Khaled Ali: “Anyone Could Defeat Sisi” In an interview with Reuters, prominent lawyer and potential presidential candidate Khaled Ali said, “If we had fair elections, anyone could defeat [President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi].” Ali cited [Ar] a worsening economic situation in Egypt, the regime’s crackdown on personal freedoms and opposition, and a continuing security crisis as reasons for President al-Sisi’s growing unpopularity. Ali also said that he does not believe that he will be given the opportunity to run for president, as he is currently awaiting trial for “offending public decency” for allegedly making an obscene hand gesture. The charges are considered by most to be politically motivated, as Ali will be banned from competing in the election if he is convicted. Ali said that “the regime is trying to make even caring about politics scary. They are trying to make it come with a high price.” Eight of the members of Ali’s socialist Bread and Freedom Party have been arrested since April as part of al-Sisi’s attempt to eradicate prominent opposition a year before the 2018 presidential elections. When asked during the interview about the regime’s recent actions, Ali said, “Society needs to have an experience of resistance. If we keep not resisting, they will stay in control.” Ali’s trial is scheduled for July 3. Egyptian Parliamentary Delegation to Visit Washington on Saturday An Egyptian delegation including 12 members of Egyptian Parliament will visit Washington, D.C. beginning on Saturday, June 10, for a number of meetings with American policymakers. The delegation will be led [Ar] by the head of the Egyptian Foreign Relations committee, Ahmed Saeed, and will include a number of other influential MPs. The delegation will meet [Ar] with a number of Members of Congress, and reportedly plans to discuss the proposal of designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and U.S.-Egypt relations, among other topics. The group is also scheduled to meet with senior Trump administration officials on Tuesday, and according to Saeed, “there will also be a business dinner with these officials.” The trip was originally scheduled for January and coincided with Trump’s inauguration, but was rescheduled due to the difficulty of scheduling meetings with White House officials at that time. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized the importance of the trip, saying “the visit is also important now that a U.S. administration with a new and clear perspective on counter-terrorism efforts has come to office in Washington.” Egyptian media reports that no discussions regarding the crisis centered around Qatar are planned at this time. Annual Inflation Drops Slightly for First Time Since Pound Float Egypt’s annual inflation rate eased from 31.5 percent in April to 29.7 percent in May according to Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). The slight decrease in the inflation rate is the first drop since the central bank decided to lift currency exchange restrictions in response to IMF pressure, sending prices skyrocketing. Experts warned that inflation will likely continue to increase, despite the May plateau. Ehab al-Dessouki, a Cairo-based economist, said, “This slight dip doesn’t mean Egypt has passed the inflationary pressure caused by November’s currency float.” Cartoon of the Day: Mada Masr Is Still Blocked Left Ear: “Dough” Right Ear: “Mud” Mohab Mada Masr – 06/07/2017 Also Worth Reading Egypt’s al-Sisi Sees Vindication in Moves Against Qatar Hamza Hendawi Washington Post .