DOHA — Various Egyptian opposition voices stressed the need for “political consensus and security” before addressing the country’s economic woes during discussions at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, held June 9–11 in Doha. The forum, hosted by the Brookings Institution, sought to assess Egypt’s dire economic situation behind closed doors, with participants representing a broad spectrum of the country’s political scene.

The discussions were held amid debate within Egypt over a stalled loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which in April had forecast that Egypt’s GDP growth would slow to 2.0% in 2013, down from 2.2% in 2012, with unemployment jumping from 12.3% in 2012 to 13.5% this year.

According to opposition figures who attended the forum, Egypt’s ongoing security woes and continued political instability are fueling the economic downward spiral and must therefore be the first to be addressed. 

“We want a political consensus. You can’t do it otherwise. Which investor, Egyptian before foreigner, would agree to work in such an environment?” asked Pacinthe Fahmy, deputy head of the Al-Dustour Party, led by former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohammad ElBaradei, speaking with Al-Monitor on the sidelines of the closed discussions.