CAIRO, March 27 (AP): Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the Egyptian military chief who last summer removed the elected Islamist president, has announced that he will run for president in elections expected next month, putting him on an apparent track to lead a nation beleaguered by ongoing turmoil and violence, a broken political order, a dilapidated economy and concerns over the chances for building a democracy.
Wearing his military fatigues in a nationally televised speech, el-Sissi announced late on Wednesday he was resigning from the armed forces — a required step since only civilians can run for president. He declared that it was the last time he would wear his uniform because he was stepping down to run president and continue to defend the country. He said he was “answering the demand of a wide range of Egyptians.”
The 59-year-old el-Sissi is widely expected to win the vote, and restore a tradition of presidents from military background that Egypt had for all but one year since 1952. He has been the country’s most powerful figure since removing President Mohammed Morsi, and Morsi’s once politically dominant Muslim Brotherhood has since been declared a terrorist group.
A nationalist fervor has gripped the country since the removal of Morsi, who in 2012 became Egypt’s first freely elected and civilian president. The ouster in July came after massive protests by millions against Morsi and the Islamists.
Since then, the military-backed interim government has waged a fierce crackdown on the Brotherhood, arresting thousands of members and killing hundreds of protesters in clashes. At the same time, militants have waged a campaign of attacks on police and the military, and authorities have accused the Brotherhood of orchestrating terrorism, a claim the group denies.
Magdy Karkar, a senior member of a Brotherhood-led coalition organizing anti-government protests, said el-Sissi’s candidacy confirms that Morsi’s removal was a coup aimed at wrecking democracy, as Islamists have contended.
“His running will not achieve stability in Egypt. It’s true he has many supporters who love him or even worship him. But on the other hand, there are those who hate Gen. el-Sissi and hold him responsible for the blood that has been shed,” Karkar told The Associated Press.
