SCAF empowers Field Marshal El-Sisi to run for president

[DJKeefy]

Egypt's SCAF empowers Field Marshal El-Sisi to run for president.

Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has empowered army chief and defence minister, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, to run for president, according to reports from state-run MENA on Monday.

The sources speaking to MENA also said that El-Sisi will announce his decision in the next few hours over whether or not he will enter the upcoming presidential elections as a civilian candidate.

The door for nominations for Egypt's presidency will open on 18 February, sources told MENA.

Earlier on Monday, interim President Adly Mansour issued a presidential decree promoting El-Sisi from the rank of general to field marshal.

Until his appointment as defence minister by deposed president Mohamed Morsi in August 2012, El-Sisi had been serving as head of military intelligence, a post he'd held since 2010.

His popularity soared a year later when, amidst mass protests demanding an end to the Morsi's rule, El-Sisi appeared on television on 3 July and announced the end of the troubled Islamist president's one-year rule.

A number of campaigns have since sprung up pressuring the general to run for president in upcoming elections.

While he had initially announced he would not seek power, El-Sisi has more recently said that the possibility is open.

On Sunday, Mansour announced that presidential elections will be held before parliamentary polls -- an amendment to the transitional roadmap which was agreed upon by various political forces on 3 July.

According to Mansour's decree, the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) should begin procedures to hold the polls in no less than 30 days and no more than 90 days following the successful passage of the country's newly-amended constitution.

The constitution was put into effect on 18 January -- after a two-day referendum on 14 and 15 January which yielded an overwhelming 98.1 percent approval of the charter.

Accordingly, presidential elections are slated to occur between 17 February and 18 April.

On Saturday, tens of thousands converged on Tahrir Square and elsewhere nationwide to celebrate the third anniversary of the 25 January Revolution. Thousands carried banners and posters urging El-Sisi to run for the presidency.

Earlier in the month El-Sisi stated that he would only run for president upon an army mandate and a request from the Egyptian people.

Presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi has announced that he will run in the upcoming presidential elections regardless if El-Sisi does so as well.

The Nasserist politician said in an interview two weeks ago with private satellite channel Al-Hayat TV that he had personally told the army chief that he would run for president whether or not El-Sisi did.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/92757.aspx

[Glyphdoctor]

We are living June 23, 1956 again. Tick tock tick tock.

[Brian Yare]

I try not to interfere in Egyptian politics, but Sisi must be the best choice for the next president.

[Bombay]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25917452

Egypt army backs Sisi as presidential candidate

Egypt's top military body has given its approval for armed forces chief Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to run for the presidency.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) said: "The people's trust in Sisi is a call that must be heeded as the free choice of the people."

Security sources say he will resign and announce his candidacy within days.

Field Marshal Sisi led the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi in July, following mass protests against him.

An election must take place by mid-April. Correspondents say Field Marshal Sisi would be likely to win, given his popularity and the lack of any serious rivals.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people backed his candidacy at a rally in Cairo, after the field marshal said he wanted to gauge "public demand".

At the same time, almost 50 people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters demanding Mr Morsi's reinstatement.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis
image of Orla Guerin
Orla Guerin
BBC News, Cairo
Three years after the revolution of 2011 swept away the military strongman, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt could soon by ruled by another.

The newly minted Field Marshal, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, has no experience of war but has shown himself to be a skilled political tactician.

He became a national hero, for some, after he ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in a popularly backed coup last July.

His popularity has spawned a cult, and his image adorns everything from mugs and T-shirts to chocolates and pyjamas.

To supporters, the softly-spoken former military intelligence chief is a strong leader who can restore stability after years of unrest. To critics he is a military hardliner who is returning Egypt to the repression of the past, with mass arrests and killings by the security forces.

Saviour or villain, his victory looks all but guaranteed. But he will inherit a deeply divided country, and a failing economy. Without quick solutions he too could face the wrath of the people.

Referring to the field marshal, the alliance led by Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood said on Sunday that the opposition protests showed "the people want the execution of the murderer" and not to "appoint the murderer as president".

'Unite the people'
On Monday, the Scaf held an hours-long meeting to discuss "the demands of the people" for Field Marshal Sisi's candidacy.

During the meeting, interim President Adly Mansour announced that he had promoted him from general to the army's top rank, reportedly as a final honour before he stands down.

The state news agency Mena later reported that the Scaf had unanimously "endorsed" Field Marshal Sisi to run for president.

The state-run al-Ahram newspaper also said his chief-of-staff, Gen Sedky Sobhy, had been chosen to replace him as head of the armed forces.

A senior military official told the AFP news agency that the field marshal would step down and announce his run within days. He wanted to "unite the people, restore security and Egypt's international standing", the official added.

On Sunday, speculation that the field marshal would stand intensified after Mr Mansour said presidential elections would be held before parliamentary elections, switching the order laid out in last year's transitional "road map".

The 59-year-old former military intelligence chief was appointed head of the armed forces and defence minister by Mr Morsi in August 2012.

But after mass protests demanding Mr Morsi's resignation took place on the first anniversary of his taking office, it was the field marshal who gave the president an ultimatum that he would have to satisfy the public's demands or see the army step in.

Supporters of Abdul Fattah al-Sisi at a rally in Tahrir Square (25 January 2014)
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people called on Field Marshal Sisi to stand
When Mr Morsi refused, Field Marshal Sisi suspended the constitution and announced the formation of a technocratic interim government.

Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of members of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood have been detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities, who have designated the Islamist movement a terrorist group.

Mr Morsi and many other senior Brotherhood leaders are currently being held on a variety of charges, including incitement to murder and conspiring to commit terrorist acts.

On Tuesday, Mr Morsi will go on trial with about 130 others, charged with the murder of prison guards during his escape from jail during the 2011 uprising.

In a separate development on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Baha al-Din, who had called for a more inclusive political process, tendered his resignation. A letter posted on his Facebook page said that a "crucial stage of the road map" was now over and a new phase had begun.

[Remus]

GD: 'We are living June 23, 1956 again. Tick tock tick tock.'

I was recently referred to on this forum by GD as
'jerky' and 'an assole'.

May I return the compliment.

[Glyphdoctor]

Dear God, all I do is mention a historical event and this is your response? It's so bizarre really that I am not even going to bother to think about it.

[Who2]

I still think Adel Eman the actor would be far better, he has no political ambitions and a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture from Cairo University…..
Ps: And every Egyptian loves him…...

[Remus]

I added my own comment concerning GD's above.
It used the same words as hers recently concerning
a comment of mine.
Hers from a couple of weeks back remains while mine
seems to have disappeared.

Could this be explained please DJK?

[A-Four]

I added my own comment concerning GD's above.
It used the same words as hers recently concerning
a comment of mine.
Hers from a couple of weeks back remains while mine
seems to have disappeared.

Could this be explained please DJK?

Good point Remus, and while he's at it, what on earth happened to that subject post regarding Facebook, l await with baited anticipation.

[DJKeefy]

I added my own comment concerning GD's above.
It used the same words as hers recently concerning
a comment of mine.
Hers from a couple of weeks back remains while mine
seems to have disappeared.

Could this be explained please DJK?

Yes! your post was reported, I have not seen any posts reported by you, otherwise the same action might have been taken (please don't report it now after it's been visible for a few weeks)

In future please use the PM system if you have any queries with the way the forum is being moderated. Thank You

[Brian Yare]

I added my own comment concerning GD's above.
It used the same words as hers recently concerning
a comment of mine.
Hers from a couple of weeks back remains while mine
seems to have disappeared.

Could this be explained please DJK?

Good point Remus, and while he's at it, what on earth happened to that subject post regarding Facebook, l await with baited anticipation.

DJK hates anything that might oppose his own presidency here. [IMHO]

[DJKeefy]

what on earth happened to that subject post regarding Facebook, l await with baited anticipation.

Long story

I tried to make peace and offer an olive branch to Jane Akshar, Theresa Clarke, Barbara Clarke and Ayisha Hassan, this falling out was all over that myself and a few others thought it was stupid of the 2 sisters going to such a huge gathering (25th anniversary), imagine if something happened, Luxor would have been truly screwed.

So I removed the post on here and facebook to try put it in the past and get on with life here, they ignored my olive branch and tried to make me look stupid on there facebook walls (shows what these kind of people are really like)

So at your request it can come back

[LovelyLadyLux]

WHEW! I read it, then it disappeared and I was thinking "I" was going a bit off and starting to imagine what is/isn't posted on here!!