Five years after coup, is Sisi losing his grip on Egypt?

Five years after Abdel Fattah el Sisi swept to power in a military coup promising Egyptians stability and prosperity, some of his supporters say he has failed to deliver on his promises.

In a televised address last week, Egypt's President Sisi urged citizens to further endure economic reforms and austerity measures, including a recent wave of steep price hikes on fuel, electricity and drinking water.

The reforms and austerity measures have hit poor and middle-class Egyptians, fanning discontent. 

A crackdown on free speech, and anger over the handover of two islands to Saudi Arabia, has also led to resentment against him. 

Over the past weeks, Egyptians have posted thousands of tweets to voice frustration with the government and its latest measures, especially the latest wave of price hikes. One popular hashtag called on Sisi to resign.

As TRT World's Abubakr al Shamahi reports, some of his supporters who marched to overthrow Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi, now regret their role ahead of the coup.

Morsi's fate

After Morsi was ousted, he was slapped with life-in-prison and death sentences for "conspiring against Egypt" with Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah and for breaking out of jail in 2011.

Morsi and his co-defendants, along with many independent observers, say the charges are politically driven.

Since Morsi's ouster and imprisonment, Egyptian authorities have cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood group, killing hundreds and jailing tens of thousands.