REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CAIRO - Egyptian army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who deposed the country's first freely elected leader, said he would run for president, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Thursday.
The newspaper, Al-Seyassah, quoted Sisi as saying in an interview that he had no alternative but to meet the wishes of the Egyptian people for him to run.
"I will not reject the demand," said Sisi, who is seen as a decisive figure that can ease political turmoil that has hit Egypt's economy hard. "I will present this to the Egyptian people to renew confidence through free voting."
There was no official confirmation that Sisi will contest elections expected within six months. A statement from Egypt's military spokesman said comments that appeared in the Kuwaiti newspaper were not direct quotes from Sisi. But the spokesman did not deny that Sisi would run for president.
The widely expected move is almost certain to increase political tensions and anger Islamist militants who have stepped up attacks on the state since Sisi ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July after mass protests against him. It will also deepen concerns that military men will again dominate Egypt after a 2011 popular uprising raised hopes of a civilian democracy.
Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement accuse Sisi of staging a coup and undermining democratic gains made since a popular uprising ousted autocrat Husni Mubarak in 2011. After deposing Mursi, Sisi unveiled a political roadmap meant to lead to free and fair elections. But under his watch, security forces have mounted one of the fiercest crackdowns against the Brotherhood and stifled dissent, drawing fire from human rights groups.
About 1,000 Brotherhood members have been killed in the streets, top leaders have been jailed and the group has been declared a terrorist organization. The Brotherhood, which says it is a peaceful organization, has been largely driven underground. But it is resilient and is likely to keep challenging Sisi.
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