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Al-Sisi announces bid for Egyptian presidency

March 17, 2014 at 3:05 pm

Egypt’s Defence Minister Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced his intention to run for president of Egypt via Kuwait’s Al-Seyassah newspaper on Thursday.


Al-Sisi told the newspaper that: “I have made my decision; I cannot defy the people’s will who wish to see me a president of the republic. I will present this to the Egyptian people to renew confidence through free voting. I ask all the Egyptians [the leadership and the people] to cooperate during these hard times.”

The newly appointed field marshal said that Egypt is now enjoying strong societal, economic and national dignity, as well as security, under his military backed government.

Al-Sisi also criticised the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule, describing the movement as selfish and unpatriotic and accusing it of taking advantage of power.

He promised that, if elected, he will cooperate with everyone to build a new Egypt, saying that: “Egypt needs someone who devotes himself and his entire time to serve it and its people. Egypt has much potential; we need to build confidence and put forward a clear road plan to invest in its agriculture, touristic and industrial wealth. We must encourage national and foreign investments. Our lives will not be disturbed by a bomb here and another there, or with a demonstration or a sit-in,” he added.

Al-Sisi noted that if he is elected his plan for the region includes building an Arab Union “between countries that suffer from terrorism. I believe the Gulf Cooperation Council and other countries will welcome this union, which will aim to eliminate terrorism.”

He also explained that the major countries criticising what is happening in Egypt do not interest him, remarking that: “We are confident in ourselves. These countries have interests in many regions of the world and as long as those interests do not collide with our national or regional interest, they do not concern us at all. We are focused on rebuilding our Egypt.”

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