By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The country’s electoral body on Monday announced that Egypt will hold a presidential vote on December 10-12, with the incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expected to run for a third term in office.
The North African country is facing economic crisis including record inflation and foreign currency shortages.
A constitutional amendments in 2019 allows Sisi, 68, to seek a third term, arising from the extension of the length of presidential terms to six years from four, opening the way for him to stay in office until at least 2030.
Election results are expected to be announced on Dec. 23 and, in the event of a run off round, final results should be announced on Jan. 16 at the latest, the election authority said.
Though Sisi has not formally announced his candidacy, pro-government parties have started a campaign including billboards around Cairo backing his reelection.
Sisi was declared winner of both the 2014 and 2018 elections with 97% of the vote.
In 2018 he faced just one opponent, after the main challenger was arrested and other contestants pulled out, citing intimidation.
Four other candidates have expressed an intention to run this time, most prominently a former Member of Parliament, Ahmed Eltantawy, who says security services have arrested some of his associates and blocked him from holding election events.
Former army chief Sisi became president in 2014, the year after he led the overthrow of democratically elected Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, following protests against Mursi’s rule.
