Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi officially launched his bid for a second term in office on Wednesday, submitting documents to register as a candidate, state news agency MENA said, a day after his main potential rival was arrested. Sisi, who won an election in a landslide in 2014 after leading the army in ousting Muslim Brotherhood\u2019s Mohamed Mursi a year earlier, becomes the first candidate to register officially for the election set for March 26-28.<\/p>\n
Candidates must register from Jan. 20 to 29 before a final list of candidates is announced on Feb. 20, according to the election commission. Sisi\u2019s popularity has been damaged by austerity reforms, security problems and a crackdown on dissidents, his critics say, but he is widely expected to win the election comfortably.<\/p>\n
The electoral commission has said it will ensure the vote is fair and transparent. Those who have considered challenging Sisi describe a sweeping effort to kill off their campaigns before they begin, with media attacks on candidates, intimidation of supporters, and a nomination process stacked in favour of the former general.<\/p>\n
Former military chief of staff Lieutenant General Sami Anan, the last challenger seen as a potential threat to Sisi\u2019s re-election, was detained on Tuesday and had his campaign stopped after the army accused him of breaking the law by running for office without permission. Khaled Ali, a rights lawyer who may be disqualified over a pending court case centred on his alleged use of an obscene hand gesture, remains one of the only presidential hopefuls still actively pursuing a bid.<\/p>\n
Ali\u2019s campaign said it would hold a news conference on Wednesday to announce their \u201cfinal position\u201d on the presidential elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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