Alwaght- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi finally declared his candidacy for re-election in March and pledged ‘transparency’ in an election process where his victory is all but guaranteed.
The widely-anticipated announcement came at the end of a three-day conference that focused on the president’s record since he was elected in a 2014 landslide. With no serious challenger on the horizon, and given his authoritarian rule over the crisis-hit country, another victory for the former military chief is a foregone conclusion.
“If you think that I gave my maximum energy with you and want to return the favor to me, all I wish from you and regardless of your choice is to show the world your participation in the vote and choose whoever you want,” El-Sisi said in a speech aired live on TV.
The 63-year-old army commander has spent his first four years in power cracking down on opponents especially the Muslim Brotherhood as the economy dwindles and terrorism continues imperil the North African state.
On Friday, the former military chief of staff, Sami Anan, announced his intention to run for the presidency. Rights lawyer Khaled Ali also plans to join the race, but it’s unclear if both will be able to collect the 25,000 voter endorsements needed for the candidacy application before a Jan. 29 deadline. The final candidates list will be released on Feb. 24 and polls in Egypt will be open for three days starting March 26.
El-Sisi became famous in 2013 after leading the army’s ouster of his Muslim Brotherhood predecessor Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president. While couching it as a war on terrorism, he oversaw a sweeping crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood that left hundreds of the movement’s members dead and thousands more imprisoned. As the crackdown expanded to activists and other dissenters, critics argued El-Sisi practically creating a police state which now guarantees him ‘victory’ in the coming elections.
