Egypt’s Al-Seesi Gets Nod From Army to Run for Presidency
By Mariam Fam and Tarek El-Tablawy - Jan 27, 2014
Egypt’s military approved a possible presidential run by Defense Minister Abdelfatah al-Seesi, the clearest sign yet that the army chief who toppled an elected president last year plans to seek the post himself.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said there is a public will for al-Seesi to run for election, and it’s up to him to “shoulder the responsibility,” in a statement on state television. Hours earlier he was promoted to field marshal, the army’s highest rank. Al-Seesi will announce his intentions within hours, the official Middle East News Agency said.
Al-Seesi has been hailed by many Egyptians as the only man capable of steering Egypt back to stability since he led the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July, which was followed by a crackdown against Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood. Opponents point to an escalation in killings by security forces since the intervention, and say the country is turning back into a police state.
The divisions led to a new wave of violence in the days before and after the Jan. 25 anniversary of the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, with dozens killed in clashes between Mursi’s supporters and security forces, as well as attacks by Islamist militants.
The army-backed government says elections will help restore stability. President Adly Mansour said yesterday that the presidential vote will be held before a parliamentary ballot, reversing an earlier plan. Candidate registrations are expected to open on Feb. 18, MENA reported.
Only Al-Seesi
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-27/egypt-s-al-seesi-get-nod-from-military-to-run-for-presidency.html
Democracy on Parade, indeed... 