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Ex-military chief of staff to run in Egyptian presidential election

January 20, 2018

CAIRO — Former Egyptian armed forces chief of staff General Sami Anan said on Saturday he intended to run in the country's presidential election in March.

In a video declaration posted on Anan's official Facebook page, he said he will run for president to save Egypt from incorrect policies and called on state institutions to maintain neutrality toward all candidates.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced late on Friday he would run for a second term. The election is Egypt's third since the 2011 uprising that deposed President Hosni Mubarak.

"I call on civilian and military institutions to maintain neutrality towards everyone who had announced their intention to run and not take unconstitutional sides of a president who will leave his post in a few months," Anan said.

Anan said in his statement that he had formed his civilian presidential team, which includes Hisham Genena, a former policeman and judge who was appointed to head Egypt’s corruption watchdog in 2012 and was sacked by Sisi in 2016.

The vote will be held on March 26-28, with a run-off vote on April 24-26 if no candidate wins more than 50 percent in the first round. Candidates will register from Jan. 20 to Jan. 29.

Those challenging Sisi describe a sweeping effort to kill off their campaigns before they have begun, with media attacks on candidates, intimidation of supporters and a nomination process stacked in favour of the former general.

"There are people I know who are corrupt, I will not allow them to come near this chair," Sisi said earlier in announcing his candidacy.

"Today ... I tell you frankly and transparently that I hope you would allow and accept my candidacy for the president's post," Sisi told a cheering crowd.

In the televised announcement, Sisi listed Egypt's achievements during his first term, including a nascent financial recovery after years of political turmoil and economic instability.

"Building the state takes 16 to 20 years, I am trying to finish it in 8 years, God willing," Sisi said.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik, seen as the most serious potential challenger to date, said he was no longer considering a bid following a firestorm of criticism from state-aligned media and speculation that he was being held by authorities in a Cairo hotel.

His most high-profile challengers are former army chief of staff Sami Anan and human rights lawyer Khaled Ali, but neither is expected to garner enough votes to oust him.

Thousands of Sisi's supporters gathered at the Cairo stadium calling for the former military commander to run for a second term. Public figures, actors and parliamentarians were amongst the crowd.

"We wanted Mr. President to continue with us," Medhat Al-Adl, a famous scriptwriter and poet, said from the podium as people cheered and waved the Egyptian flag and Sisi's portrait. "This is not his will, this is the will of all of us," he added. — Agencies


January 20, 2018
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