Ahmed Tantawi, the head of the Karama Party, blamed the regime of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for the economic failure the country is currently experiencing, noting that his party received the Presidential National Dialogue Initiative with anticipation and caution.

During an interview with BBC Arabic, Tantawi said in his first media appearance in a year and a half: “Now the discourse has changed, and the authority tells us that the country accommodates everyone and that the difference of opinion is a good thing.” He added: “The president is not an expert in dozens of files, and he has to use the best experts,” warning that “Egypt is living a catastrophic moment now.” “President Sisi’s term was supposed to end this year, as the constitution said, and as he promised. The best thing that the current authority can offer is to turn into a previous authority through democratic and fair elections.”