International
Egypt’s top military body has approved a run for president by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi last summer and holds the position of First Deputy Prime Minister.
Sisi has become hugely popular in Egypt since the military takeover, with supporters viewing him as a decisive figure equipped to tackle the unrest that has gripped the country since the 2011 uprising that brought down former leader Hosni Mubarak's regime.
The announcement of the military body clearing Sisi’s candidacy was made shortly after interim President Adely Mansour promoted Sisi to field marshal, the military's highest rank, apparently as an honor before he steps down from the military as required for him to run.
"The decision was expected and it is the first step before the resignation of the general and his candidacy announcement, which is now expected very soon," a security official said.
The official state news agency said an official announcement by Sisi of his candidacy could take place within hours, after the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in an hours-long meeting Monday "unanimously delegated" him to run in presidential elections.
Sisi, who deposed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood ruling party last year, is widely expected to win the election, slated for the end of April, should he decide to run.
Despite Sisi's enormous popularity, Muslim Brotherhood supporters accuse him of orchestrating a coup against a democratically elected leader and hold him responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Morsi's supporters killed in crackdowns by security forces.
Though Sisi is expected to win the election, he won’t run unopposed. Hamdeen Sabbahi, who came third in the 2012 presidential election, has already announced that he will run against him.
Other possible contenders, including former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and retired general Sami Anan, have said they will wait to see whether Sisi runs before making any decision.
Monday’s announcement comes two days after tens of thousands of Egyptians demonstrated to mark the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution. Demonstrators said little about the uprising and most of them waved posters of Sisi, urging him to run for president.
Wire services
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