Egyptian presidential candidates facing obstacles
CAIRO: As Egypt prepares for the beginning of presidential elections in late March, incumbent President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has announced that he will stand for re-election but challengers to his throne, where he is seen as the strongest candidate, are facing unforeseen obstacles.
The last challenger seen as a potential threat to Sisi's re-election abruptly ended his campaign on Tuesday after the army accused him of violating military law by running for office without permission.
Former military chief of staff Lieutenant-General Sami Anan was reported to have been detained for questioning after the military declared in a statement that his decision to run had been rejected. Egyptian law requires former army officials to end their service and receive permission from the military before they can run for political office.
The army statement said that Anan's presidential bid amounted to “blatant legal violations and a serious breach of the laws of military service”, adding that his candidacy had failed to get permission from the armed forces or take the necessary steps to terminate his service.
Campaign organisers subsequently stated that Anan's bid had been called off, although they gave no details as to his whereabouts while the military refused to confirm his detention. According to media reports as Anan drove to his office he was stopped by armed military police in Cairo. Other challengers have also dropped by the way side – with some citing intimidation by the authorities.
Former prime minister and air force chief, Ahmed Shafik, gave up on his attempt at the presidency last month amid media reports and speculation that he was being detained by authorities in a hotel in Cairo.
Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat, the nephew of assassinated president Anwar al-Sadat, said last week he would not run after claiming an atmosphere of fear was surrounding the vote. Rights lawyer Khaled Ali has said he will still run, but he might be disqualified over an ongoing legal case against him.
Sisi, also a former military chief, came to power against a questionable background. He was behind the 2013 military overthrow of Egypt's first-ever democratically elected president, Mohamed Mursi the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, which paved the way for his first term in office. In the lead-up to what appears to be a dramatic presidential election, there has been no comment from Egypt's government press centre, although the electoral commission has vowed to ensure voting is carried out fairly and transparently. – African News Agency (ANA)