CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has announced that he will contest the presidential election for a third term scheduled to be held in December, Western media reported on Monday.
A former army chief Sisi has been the president of Egypt since 2014. He can stay in office until 2030 after a constitutional amendment made four years ago.
In recent days supporters of Sisi have launched a campaign using billboards and public messages urging him to stand in the election for the third term.
Rallies in Cairo Urging Sisi to declare candidacy
Rallies have been held in Cairo asking Sisi to declare his candidacy.
El-Sisi came to power after ousting Muhammad Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. He was the winner of presidential elections in 2014 and 2018 with 97 percent of the vote.
The election comes as Egypt is struggling with record inflation and a shortage of foreign capital.
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Sisi has asked Egyptians to head for the polls on December 10-12 even if they don’t want to vote for him. The Egyptian president has been accused of a crackdown against jailing tens of thousands of dissidents while banning the protests.
Experts say Sisi is expected to win a third term before enacting a new currency devaluation that would further worsen Egyptians’ purchasing power.
The upcoming election was initially expected in the spring of 2024, however, the date was changed to December.
