Egypt’s law allows soldiers to run for office

CAIRO: Egypt’s parliament on Monday approved amendments that would allow active or former military personnel to run for the presidency and parliament only with the army’s approval. The legislative changes come a year after Egyptians overwhelmingly voted in favor of constitutional amendments that potentially allow President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, a former army chief, to stay on until 2030.

The amendments are expected to make it almost impossible for military personnel to run in any election, in effect preventing anyone from squaring off against Sisi. Since it became a modern republic, all but two of Egypt’s presidents have hailed from a military background. The army is highly visible in Egypt’s public life, with former top brass currently serving as ministers and heading governorates as well.

The nationalist institution boasts a sizeable business portfolio ranging from massive construction projects to producing protective masks. Sisi led the army’s overthrow of elected president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against the Islamist leader’s rule. Sisi won his first term as president in 2014 and was re-elected in March 2018 with more than 97 percent of the vote, after standing virtually unopposed. The amended law also prohibits officers from divulging information during their service publicly or joining political parties without the Supreme Council of Armed Forces’ permission.