Reuters/NAN
Egypt’s army said on Tuesday, January 23, that an announcement by former chief of staff Sami Anan that he intends to run for president in an upcoming election amounts to incitement against the military.
An army spokesman said in a televised statement that Anan’s announcement was intended to drive a wedge between the armed forces and the Egyptian people.
For this, he said the army intends to summon Anan over the issue.
The army said Anan had falsified official documents which stated his military service had terminated, which was required for former military officials to run for election.
NAN reports that presidential elections will be held in Egypt between March 26 and March 28.
On Friday, incumbent President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi formally announced he will be running for a second and final term.
Other candidates are Khaled Ali, human rights lawyer and former head of the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rightr and Mortada Mansour, Chairman of Zamalek SC and former lawyer.
The President of Egypt is elected using the two-round system.
The constitution of Egypt requires that election proceedings shall not begin earlier than 120 days from the date of the end of the current presidential term, which ends on June 8 and the results shall not be announced later than 30 days before the date of the end of the current presidential term.