Egypt's strongman raises stakes for presidential bid

By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent Published: 16:07 January 11, 2014 Image Credit: AP Supporters of Egypt's Defense Minister, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hold a poster bearing his picture with Arabic that reads, 'the people order,' in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014. Egypt's military chief has urged Egyptians to vote in next week's constitutional referendum, describing its passage as a step on the way to progress. A large turnout and a strong 'yes' vote would give legitimacy and a boost to the political plan endorsed by el-Sissi calling for subsequent presidential and parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zeid)

Cairo: Egypt's military strongman Abdul Fatah Al Sissi on Saturday made the strongest signal yet that he may contest the country's upcoming presidential elections.

'If I nominate myself, this should come upon demand from the people and a mandate from the army,' he said at a military gathering in Cairo.

Al Sissi, Egypt's defence minister, has gained wide popularity in the country since July when he led the ouster of Islamist president Mohammad Mursi after enormous street protests against his rule. Al Sissi has since kept the nation guessing on whether he will run for president.

Several campaigns pushing for Al Sissi's presidential bid have said they will hold mass rallies on January 25, which marks the third anniversary that forced long-time president Hosni Mubarak out of power.

'When the people wanted, they took to the streets in numbers that amazed the world,' Al Sissi said on Saturday, referring to the anti-Mursi protesters.

Egyptians are due to go to polls on January 14-15 to vote on a draft constitution replaced the one suspended by the military after Mursi's removal.

Al Sissi urged Egyptians to turn out en masse to vote on the charter, the first major step in a post-Mursi transitional plan, which features presidential and parliamentary polls.

'The people should shoulder their national responsibility and make a strong participation in the referendum on the draft constitution,' the state-run Middle East News Agency quoted Al Sissi as saying. No date has been announced yet for the presidential vote. But it is likely in March or April.

Several presidential hopefuls have said they would not stand if Al Sissi decided to run, predicting he will win by a landslide. The Brotherhood, to which Mursi belongs, accuses Al Sissi of orchestrating the Islamist leader's overthrow to replace him.

Meanwhile, secular pro-democracy activists are concerned that Al Sissi's presidency will officially tighten the army's grip on power. Except for Mursi's one-year rule, Egypt has been governed by presidents with a military background since the early 1950s.