Egypt’s presidential elections expected in April
CAIRO, EGYPT — Egypt’s interim leader on Sunday said the country will pick a president before parliament, a widely expected change in a political transition plan as public support for army chief and July coup leader Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi grows stronger. But Egypt remains dangerously divided, as seen in clashes that killed at least 49 people a day earlier and militant attacks in the country’s restive Sinai Peninsula that left several soldiers dead.
The decision follows weeks of deliberations with different political groups who had pushed for holding presidential, not parliamentary elections first, as had been originally planned.
Many argued that electing a president would be a panacea for the country’s dangerously divided politics.
The transition plan, adopted after the ouster of Egypt’s first freely elected president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi, calls for both elections within six months of the adoption of a new constitution. The charter was passed on Jan. 18. The presidential election is now expected before the end of April, while a parliamentary vote should come before the end of July.
The announcement came amid rising expectations that el-Sissi will run for president after leading the coup that toppled Morsi following massive protests against him.
“Having presidential elections first will lead to stability faster,” said Ahmed Gamaleddin, the leader of an alliance of political parties comprised mostly of former security and military officials, some of whom had worked under autocrat Hosni Mubarak, who led Egypt for nearly 30 years.
Gamaleddin told The Associated Press that his group, “Egypt my Country,” will encourage elSissi to run for office because he has enough popular backing.
The alliance was a main sponsor of the calls to rally in support of the general on Saturday, which was the third anniversary of the uprising against Mubarak, who preceded Morsi.