On a television talk show last Monday, National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) Director Moqbel Shaker denied Egypt is witnessing seditious activity while admitting the country is experiencing popular frustration.

Shaker also condemned international pressure on Egypt to welcome foreign election monitors, arguing there is no judicial supervision of elections in respectable nations.

“It only happens in developing countries or countries that suffer from tribal or sectarian conflicts,” he said. “A country like Egypt, with a long history, needs no such supervision. There is a difference between supervising and following up elections.”

In the interview, Shaker also denied that Egyptian civil society organizations are restricted in any way. “We must stop self-reprimanding,” he insisted.

“We must also get rid of the conspiracy theory about elections being rigged,” he went on to say, adding that opposition parties in Egypt are weak and lack popularity.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.