Egypt's President Sisi to run for second term in March

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Friday that he will run for a second term in the country’s presidential election in March, which observers say he is widely expected to win.

"I announce to you... my candidacy for the post of president of the republic," Sisi said at a conference in Cairo, broadcast live on state television.

"I pledge that the upcoming presidential election will be free and transparent... and be characterized by equal opportunities between candidates," he added.

Sisi is widely expected to win in the first round on March 26-28. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent, a run-off vote is planned on April 24-26.

Egypt's former army chief, Sisi led the military’s ousting of President Mohamed Morsi – the country's first freely elected leader – in 2013, two years after the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak in the "Arab Spring" uprisings that swept the Middle East.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during the closing session of the "Tale of a Homeland" conference in Cairo, Egypt, January 19, 2018. /Handout Photo ‍via VCG

That was followed by a crackdown against thousands of Morsi supporters who demonstrated for weeks to demand his reinstatement.

In 2014, Sisi was himself elected president, winning 96.91 percent of the vote, although turnout was only about 47 percent of the country’s 54 million voters.

Sisi's rule has brought some stability to the country, but critics say his popularity has been eroded by tough economic reforms that have hit people's livelihoods hard.

Rights groups also say he has led an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents, activists and critical media.

His supporters on the other hand say measures are needed to keep the country stable as it faces security challenges including attacks by ISIL militants in the North Sinai region.

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

Campaigning for the election begins on February 24 and will last until March 23. Candidates who collect the required number of signatures to stand can register from January 20 to 29.

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters