Egypt ex-army figure to run for president: Report
Iran Press TV
Mon Feb 17, 2014 3:0PM GMT
Egypt's former number two in the Supreme military council, Sami Anan, has announced his intention to run in the upcoming presidential election, a report says.
Egypt's ex-military chief of staff, Anan, will issue a public announcement on his candidacy in the coming days, his media office said in a statement on Sunday.
"Lt. Gen. Sami Anan will announce his nomination at a press conference to be held next week," the report noted.
Anan is expected to compete with Egyptian army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as well as the head of the Nasserite party, Hamdeen Sabahi, in the race slated for spring.
Meanwhile, Sissi has yet to announce that he will run, despite Egypt's top generals clearing the way for him to declare his candidacy.
The 66-year-old Anan was chief of the army staff under former dictator Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted out of power in a 2011 popular revolt.
He then became deputy chief of the military council for 17 months after Mubarak's downfall.
Anan was also appointed by ousted president Mohamed Morsi as an advisor.
Critics say Anan is being backed by the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood - a claim denied by his campaigners.
Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since the first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted on July 3, 2013.
The country's Muslim Brotherhood accuses Sisi of staging a coup against Morsi.
GMA/AB
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