Egypt's el-Sissi Gives Clearest Sign He Will Run for President

Egypt's Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 20, 2013.

Egyptian armed forces chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has given the clearest signal yet that he will run for president, saying he cannot ignore the demands of the “majority”, Egypt's state news agency reported on Tuesday.

El-Sissi, who toppled Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi, said “official procedures” concerning his candidacy were expected in the coming days.

El-Sissi, widely expected to win the presidency of the Arab world's most populous country, was speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Cairo war college.

Most Egyptians regard him as a decisive figure who can end the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since a popular uprising toppled autocratic president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

In his speech, el-Sissi said Egypt was witnessing difficult times that required the unity of the people, army and police, according to the state news agency MENA.