In TV remarks on Friday, two days after the inaugural session of the long-awaited dialogue, Rashwan urged people to contact their political parties, professional and labour unions, civil society groups, or other parties representing them in order to express their demands at the dialogue’s sessions.

“For the political figures and labour, professional and agricultural syndicates to exist, they have to express your demands. Otherwise, they will become history,” Rashwan said.

He added that the government and parliament continuously interact with the National Dialogue. The solutions agreed upon at the dialogue sessions to the different political, economic and social issues will be sent to the president.

Rashwan called for people to avoid pessimistic thoughts about the dialogue, stressing that the dialogue can serve as the “main tool to solve Egypt’s problems.”

“All horizons are open. There will be no suppression of a viewpoint, and there will be no red line on an idea as long as it is possible and applicable and leads to the common good,” Rashwan said.

The dialogue will seek solutions to 113 issues that touch people’s lives, including inflation, price hikes, employment, public debt, and other political issues such as pretrial detention and the electoral system, Rashwan said.

The National Dialogue kicked off on Wednesday with several political forces, civil society groups, professional and labour unions, and public figures participating to discuss key political, economic, and social issues after a year of preparations.

The dialogue saw heavy participation by the opposition, especially from the Civil Movement — a bloc including 12 opposition groups – to discuss key political, social and economic issues.

Rashwan noted on Wednesday that the participants represent all segments of Egyptian society and affirmed that the dialogue “would not be used as an alternative for the Egyptian state's institutions."