Friday, October 18, 2013

Support for General El-Sissi Grows in Egypt

General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s unofficial presidential campaign is hitting the streets with growing momentum. 
The organizers are taking names. They’re taking numbers. They claim that more than 9 million people — over 10 percent of Egypt’s population — have already signed the petition calling for the man who orchestrated the July coup that overthrew Egypt’s first democratically elected leader to become this nation’s next elected president.
For many Egyptians, the rise of a new military man is a comforting idea after nearly three years of political turmoil since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
A Sissi victory in the presidential vote expected by next spring would mean that Egypt will have come full circle from the overthrow of one military leader to the official embrace of a new one. 
Beginning with Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1952 and continuing through Mubarak, Egypt was ruled by men who came to power through the armed forces. Sissi’s critics say his presidency would end this nation’s brief experiment in civilian rule — and the democracy that brought Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist, to power in 2012.
Already, Sissi mania has swept the nation in a pattern reminiscent of past strongmen. The general’s face has become ubiquitous in shop windows and even on cupcakes. He’s celebrated in songs, poems, and chants. 
Sissi, who diplomats say appears to relish the attention, hasn’t actually declared his candidacy. The campaigners say they’re acting on their own accord. And Sissi has coyly dodged the subject of whether he will run in speeches and rare interviews.
‘‘I think that it’s not the right time to ask this question under the circumstances that the country is going through,’’ Sissi told the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm in an interview published last week. 
But in a nation that has tired of politicians deemed too eager to hold onto power, the reluctance — genuine or not — is part of Sissi’s appeal. His backers say he would be unlikely to face any real competition at the polls if he does decide to run.
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2 comments:

BOSMAN said...

With the Muslim Brotherhood running roughshod over everyone who was not radical Islamists like themselves, It appears THE REST of the Egyptians have an advocate in General el-sissi that believes ALL EGYPTIANS deserve to live without fear of persecution by others.

If his heart is truly with the safety and well-being of 'ALL' the Egyptian People, this American wishes him good luck.

Anonymous said...

Me too. It's nice to see Egyptians standing up to the Islamists.

-Martha