Shorouk is listing all the features of the new parliamentary building in the new administrative capital, including it being the largest parliamentary building in the region at triple the size of the current parliament in Cairo. It invites a lot of questions about why? THREAD https://twitter.com/Shorouk_News/status/1359078579116658688

Why in a political system in which the legislature has no real political power would the regime invest in building such a grandiose bldg? Why when the lower house already did nothing of consequence, did the regime amend the constitution to create an upper house at great expense?

These aren't new questions. Many have explored the purpose of legislatures and elections in authoritarian systems. It does seem that slowly Sisi's regime has seen the value in rebuilding these networks of elites who serve the regime in exchange for privileged access to rents

Sisi refuses to join or establish an official ruling party, differentiating himself from predecessors, but he has learned the benefits of having their support. In 2014 when turnout was low for his 'election,' he extended voting & relied on old NDP networks to mobilize voters

He relied on an intelligence officer to organize parliamentary elections the next year ensuring the regime controlled list "For the love of Egypt" dominated the first parliament under his rule. It was composed of several loyalist parties though, rather than one dominant party

Some were newly formed after the coup while others were formed after the 2011 uprising or existed long before it. They were almost all coopted nonetheless, with "liberal" parties recruiting former officers & former NDP members to curry favor with the new regime & get more seats

The result is that these pro-regime party members stripped the party of any ideology other than loyalty to the regime, perhaps being closer to one center of power than others as there is still intra-regime competition between the various security apparatuses & other regime elites

The national security agency organized an even more consolidated "independent" list this election. The Nation's Future Party built a "coalition" of loyalist parties & decided how many seats each got. The NFP is the unofficial regime party but the term ruling party is ill-fitting

Unlike the NDP under Mubarak, the NFP has no political/policy role. It does not have a policies committee of any consequence. It does not hold ministerial posts. It does not offer serious policy proposals. It is tasked with managing the patronage network that parliament houses

And as the regime grows and deepens its control of the country, that patronage network grows too thus requiring (or demanding) a larger house to hold it as is being built in the New Capital.

The network was also expanded with the creation of the Senate meaning more patrons with more loyalty to the president. The president appoints 1/3rd of the Senate members vs only up to 5% of members of the lower house.

Parliamentary life in an authoritarian system is expensive. These crony capitalists didn't fight for seats in the last election out of a desire for just a powerless title in a government body with no real governing power. They gain real perks and access to state & regime rents.

They are both vehicles for patronage distribution to their constituents as they are recipients of patronage themselves through loyalty & proximity to the regime which is currently a major driver of economic opportunity as much of Egypt's growth is thanks to govt stimulus spending

Sisi has always been averse to affiliating with a party & in a sense this strategy has perks. The NDP & its corrupt crony capitalists were a target for public hatred under Mubarak. The NFP is not his party & they may grow hated enough that the regime will discard & replace them

The NFP may find ways to build more independent power & avoid this fate. NDP leaders Ahmed Ezz achieved a level of wealth/influence that gave him a degree of independent power Mubarak couldn't easily take away, but the new regime is working to keep capitalists in a dependent role

Regardless, Sisi has recognizes he needs civilian foot soldiers in an apolitical political class to serve various purposes and this helps explain the seemingly inexplicable expansion of a legislature in a country where legislative power is effectively nonexistent.