Military tries to quell rumors that Sisi will run for president

Social media was abuzz with reports Saturday that the head of Egypt’s military, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has made a final decision to run for the presidency.

But military spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali attempted to quell the speculation late Saturday, issuing a statement on his official Facebook page. He asserted that the military’s main focus is to follow the transitional period road map.

“Some papers and other media deal with the news about the Armed Forces and its leaders with the concept of ‘the scoop,’ with no consideration to the possible effects on the national security of the country during these delicate times,” the statement read, adding, “The Armed Forces is focused during this period on the steps indicated in the road map for the future of Egyptians after June 30.”

Although the statement did not confirm or deny Sisi’s intention to run for president, Ali asked the media to be “more accurate” in its handling of news relating to the military.

On Saturday night, several news websites and Cairo-based TV shows reported that Sisi, 59, had made up his mind and decided to run for the nation’s top position.

The sources, including the privately owned Al-Wafd newspaper and the satellite channel MBC Masr, also reported that Sisi would soon be removed from his position as minister of defense, in order to make him eligible to run for the presidency.

The reports said that the current military chief of staff, Sedky Sobhy, would replace him. Sobhy was promoted to lieutenant-general last August by then-President Morsi, who appointed him chief of staff.

Privately owned Al-Watan newspaper quoted a military source last week saying that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had decided in its last meeting to support Sisi for presidency, and recommended Sobhy to be his successor as minister of defense.

The paper also quoted the unnamed source as saying that Sisi agreed to the decision of SCAF, and would accept the call of the people if they want him to run for president.

Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy, however, denied in a television appearance Saturday night the rumor that Sisi would be removed from his position as minister of defense.

The military spokesperson, in his Saturday statement, said that the Armed Forces does not rely on anonymous sources to spread its news, and has its own channels to directly inform the public of any news that relates to the military.

While not directly addressing the Sisi rumor, Ali said that the military is currently focused on execution of the road map, put in place after the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi, including the holding of the referendum on the constitution January 14 and 15, and securing the country form all domestic and external threats.

Ever since Sisi read out the military decree removing Morsi from power on June 3, rumors have been circulating about a possible bid for the presidency. With Sisi enjoying widespread popular support, the rumors have only grown.

The closest that Sisi has come to answering the question of whether or not he intends to run for president came in a rare interview he gave to the Washington Post in August.

The article read, in part: “Asked if he intends to run for president, as previous military leaders have done, Sisi suggested he will not, saying he does not ‘aspire for authority.’ But when pressed, he stopped short of ruling out the possibility.”