Egypt, the most populous nation in the Arab world, will hold presidential elections from December 10 to 12, electoral officials announced on Monday.
Although he hasn’t publicly declared his candidacy, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former army commander who has been in power for almost ten years, has already published words of support from pro-government organizations in state-aligned media.
First elected in 2014, the year following his role in the overthrow of the late Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, Sisi, now 68, defeated one of his own backers in a landslide in 2018.
Only two other candidates have so far declared their intention to run this time, including opposition politician Ahmed al-Tantawi, who has for months denounced harassment by security forces.
The election had initially been expected in the spring of 2024.
Some experts have said it was moved forward to schedule it ahead of a possible switch to a flexible exchange rate that could exacerbate social tensions in the country of 105 million.
The vote will be held “on December 10, 11 and 12”, said National Election Authority chairman Judge Walid Hassan Hamza.
Hopefuls can apply from October, with the candidate list to be finalised by November 9. The campaign period runs until November 29 and the winner will be announced on December 18.
