Like countries in Africa, Egypt is at onset of electoral autocracyLast week’s constitutional referendum, here in Egypt, coincided with the 64th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights which started at Sharm el Sheikh. Hotels in the neighbourhood of the commission session declined requests for space to host side meetings, or put a prohibitive cost as a way of discouraging requests. Like many countries in Africa, Egypt is now at the onset of electoral authoritarianism. Sisi won the elections last year by an improbable 97 per cent, and has now broken constitutional term limits, with the possibility of a life presidency. The opening statements in the general debate in the commission session regretted the dire situation resulting from conflict – imposed displacement of populations across the continent.

Source: Standard Digital April 27, 2019 21:00 UTC