Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has announced that he will run for a third term in the next election in December, Al Jazeera reported.
Analysts expect al-Sisi to win the election at a time of the country’s economic crisis, record inflation and a plummeting local currency. He said during his speech on Monday evening:
I have decided to nominate myself to complete the dream during a new presidential term. I call on all Egyptians to participate in this democratic scene to choose with their patriotic conscience who is worthy.
The elections will be held from 10 to 12 December. In total, approximately 65 million Egyptians are expected to vote. Overseas voting centres will be open to Egyptian citizens from 1 to 3 December.
In addition to Al-Sisi, several politicians have already run for the presidency as well. However, none of them is a rival to the incumbent president.
According to Al Jazeera, the campaign headquarters of Ahmed al-Tantawi, who is al-Sisi’s best-known possible rival and a former member of parliament, said voters had been prevented from supporting him. To file for election one must collect 25,000 public signatures or win the support of 20 lawmakers in parliament, which is overwhelmingly in favour of Sisi.
Al-Sisi, a former army chief, who has been President since 2014, was expected to run again and seek a third term after amending the constitution four years ago to allow him to remain in office until 2030. According to Arab news, there is an active advertising campaign across Egypt urging support for al-Sisi in the election.
Al-Sisi led the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. After that, he rose to power. He won in 2014 and 2018 with 97 per cent of the vote. His rule has been marked by a widespread crackdown on dissent during which activists say tens of thousands have been jailed. The Muslim Brotherhood, historically by far Egypt’s strongest opposition force, has been outlawed, its leaders jailed or in exile.
Sisi and his backers say the measures were needed to stabilise Egypt after the turmoil caused by the country’s 2011 “Arab Spring” popular uprising.
