Egypt's divided opposition strengthens Sisi

The Egyptian opposition is as miserable as the regime in Cairo. Perhaps they are two sides of the same coin - both mirroring the country's political failures.

One of the main reasons for the ruling regime's tyranny is the absence of a genuine opposition. The 3^rd of July 2013 coup d'etat, when Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, succeeded because of divisions in the Islamist and non-Islamist political forces opposing it. 

Before the coup there was space for political pluralism to flourish. Egypt is now ruled by a tyrannical authority, unopposed by an opposition that is outdated and divided. It has failed to unite despite countless opportunities, the last being the acquittal of the former president, Hosni Mubarak.

Before Sisi's coup there was space for political pluralism to flourish in Egypt.

If we exclude civil parties that supported the military coup or stayed silent as the military took control, only four groups are left to oppose the current regime.

First, the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters. This group is weak and lacks political vision. Despite carrying out daily demonstrations, the group has failed to make any tangible political achievements.

The second group is the remnants of revolutionary forces that sparked the 2011 revolution, which overthrew Mubarak. It includes the 6 April Youth Movement and socialist revolutionaries. They still raise their slogan of "dignity, freedom and social justice". However, having failed to unite with a popular bloc or social movement, such as the Brotherhood, this group has had minimal impact on Egypt's balance of power.

The third group is composed of exiles attempting to undermine the regime remotely. In doing so, they are justifying the regime's propaganda of a foreign conspiracy. They are not trusted by other revolutionary forces because they have tried to speak for them without coordination.

The fourth category is the groups that have taken up arms against the regime. They lack a popular support base, and the more violent they are, the closer people move to the regime.

All four groups are serving the regime's interests. Their behaviour is consolidating its power, by validating the
argument the opposition is chaotic and causing instability.

The Egyptian opposition mirrors the Syrian opposition, whose divisions have obstructed the Syrian revolution from its outset.

This is not meant to be an attack, but an analysis of the miserable position of opposition forces in Egypt, as the fourth anniversary of the 25 January revolution gets closer.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.