Military warns of illegal scams in Sisi’s name

Egypt's military spokesperson said on Wednesday that individuals in Gharbiya and Beni Suef governorates have been illegally collecting financial donations to back Sisi's presidential campaign, which has not officially commenced. 

A statement released on the spokesperson's official Facebook page described the reports as “exploitation of the name of the Armed Forces to commit illegal acts” and threatened legal action in response.

Whether Sisi runs for president is his own personal decision, which he will announce at the appropriate time, Ali said, adding that the Armed Forces is not involved in the decision-making process.

The Armed Forces issued a statement supporting Sisi’s potential candidacy in January.

An announcement of the field marshal's candidacy has meanwhile been expected for the past couple of months, with weekly speculation in local media that Sisi will finally enter the race.

The delays have been attributed to the finalization of the presidential elections law, passed in February, as well as speculation that Sisi may be looking to iron out various internal military affairs before stepping down as commander of the Armed Forces.

The most prominent pro-Sisi campaign, "Kammel Gemeelak" (Fulfill Your Promise), says that it has no communication with Sisi and that it runs exclusively on donations from its members.

It is unclear who has funded the billboards bearing Sisi’s face, which have been popping up around the country in recent months.

Human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate Khaled Ali announced that he would not run in the upcoming elections, saying that they would not be fair, whilst criticizing both the Presidential Elections Law and Protest Law.

There had been speculation that former military chief Sami Anan would run, but he announced last week that he wouldn't participate out of concern for the “national good.”

Nasserist politician Hamdeen Sabbahi from the Popular Current is the only official candidate so far.