In a formal declaration on Monday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi confirmed his candidacy for a third term in office as President of Egypt
He made this announcement on the final day of the Hikayat Watan conference, which took place in the New Administrative Capital.
El-Sisi, who has held office since 2014, inaugurated a three-day conference on Saturday to highlight the accomplishments of his administration across various sectors.
In his address, President El-Sisi expressed his willingness to answer the call of the Egyptian people once more, emphasizing his determination to run for re-election. He concluded his speech by urging all eligible voters to actively participate in the upcoming elections, regardless of their support for him. He emphasized the importance of demonstrating the collective will of the Egyptian populace and the significance of individual choice in the electoral process.
President El-Sisi also acknowledged the constitutional amendments in 2019 that extended presidential term limits, making him eligible for a third term ending in 2030. According to the National Elections Authority (NEA), candidates seeking to participate in the 2024 presidential election can submit their candidacies from October 5 to October 14, 2023.
Voting is scheduled to occur in Egypt from December 10 to December 12, with Egyptians living abroad casting their votes from December 1 to December 3. The Egyptian constitution mandates candidates to obtain endorsements from a minimum of 20 Members of Parliament from the House of Representatives or 25,000 registered voters from at least 15 governorates, with a requirement of at least 1,000 endorsements from each governorate.
In addition to President El-Sisi, seven other political figures have announced their intentions to compete in the forthcoming election. These candidates include Abdel-Sanad Yamama, head of the Wafd Party; Fouad Badrawi, a former MP and member of the Wafd Party’s Higher Council; Hazem Omar, head of the People’s Republican Party; Ahmed El-Fadaly, chairman of the Democratic Peace Party; Ahmed Tantawi, a former MP and former head of the leftist Al-Karama (Dignity) Party; Gameela Ismail, chairwoman of the liberal Dostour (Constitution) Party, and Farid Zahran, chairman of the leftist Egyptian Social Democratic Party. Yamama, Omar, and Zahran have already confirmed that they have obtained the necessary endorsements to participate in the polls.
Notary offices throughout Egypt experienced a surge in activity as thousands of citizens gathered to endorse President El-Sisi, while supporters of other potential candidates reportedly encountered difficulties in obtaining endorsement forms. On Sunday, Tantawy and Gameela Ismail voiced similar concerns about the endorsement process.
