Egyptians are really interested and caught up in the exciting beginning of their country’s presidential election campaign, which started earlier than expected.
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is almost certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, even though his government is currently dealing with very high inflation rates and a large amount of debt.
The left-wing politician and former MP Ahmed al-Tantawi, who strongly opposes the government, has started an uncommon political campaign in Egypt.
President Sisi hosted a big, three-day conference on TV called “Story of the Homeland” to talk about what happened in the past ten years and officially announce that he is running for office.
Mr Sisi said that he is answering the calls of the Egyptians once again. He has decided to nominate himself for another term as president in order to fulfill their dreams. The audience of officials and important people cheered and applauded in response.
“I am asking all Egyptians to take part in this democratic process and use their love for their country to decide who is deserving,” he said.
At the right moment, many people gathered in different cities in Egypt to show their support.
Many people crowded into a square in Giza and happily waved flags. Many people from nearby poor neighborhoods came because they wanted to attend a party with famous singers. But some people told the BBC that they were government workers who were told to go.
As Egyptian television talk shows, which are very popular but also heavily regulated, talked about these pictures, videos were also shared on social media showing small protests. These protests were particularly noticeable in the small coastal city of Marsa Matrouh, where banners with the president’s image were torn down and destroyed.
A few Arabic hashtags quickly became popular. Not only “Sisi” with requests for a “million man” march to support him, but also “Leave, loser”, which is being shared by thousands of people.
The choice to plan the election for December 10-12, which is much earlier than needed, seems to be connected to Egypt’s serious economic problems. Experts are predicting that another difficult decision will be made next year to reduce the value of the currency.
During a conference this week in Egypt’s new administrative capital, which is an expensive project of Mr. Sisi’s government being constructed in the desert east of Cairo, the president asked regular people to make sacrifices to handle the increasing prices.
“He said, Egyptians should not even think about choosing to eat instead of working hard and making advancements. ” If we have to be hungry and thirsty in order for the country to improve and be successful, then we should choose not to eat or drink.
His opponent, Ahmed al-Tantawi, quickly criticized those remarks as being “dangerous” and indicating a “cruel approach”. He stated that Egyptians were being expected to face hunger and a lack of necessities.
He expressed disapproval towards Mr Sisi, saying that Mr Sisi’s idea of progress involves constructing large buildings, cities, and palaces in the desert instead of prioritizing the wellbeing of people by ensuring they have a good life, including access to quality education and healthcare.
We don’t know yet if Mr. Tantawi, who is one of the few people running for president, will participate in the competition.
The internet watchdog CitizenLab in Canada has found that his phone has been attacked with advanced spyware.
He also said that everyday Egyptians have had a hard time registering their support for his candidacy at public notary offices. Some people say that they were assaulted by supporters of the government.
People who want to run for office need either the support of 25,000 signatures from people in 15 different areas, or the support of 20 Members of Parliament who are likely to vote for Mr Sisi.
Egypt’s National Election Authority says it is looking into the complaints and keeping notary offices open for longer.
President Sisi, who used to be a general in the army, led the military’s removal of Mohammed Morsi, who was elected as the president of the country through a democratic process and belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood. This happened in 2013, after Morsi had been in power for one year, following a lot of people protesting on the streets.
He won the presidential elections in both 2014 and 2018 with 97% of the vote. In 2019, the constitution was changed to allow him to stay in power for two more years and run for a third term. People voted and agreed on this change.
Mr Sisi’s time as leader has involved stopping the Muslim Brotherhood completely. They were previously the strongest opposition group in the country, but their leaders are now imprisoned or living outside of Egypt.
Activists say that many people who criticize the government have been put in jail. Most of them are Islamists, but there are also non-religious activists, including many who were involved in the 2011 uprising that removed President Hosni Mubarak from power.
Mr Sisi used to be viewed as someone who would bring stability to Egypt after a long period of trouble, and he was able to show himself as a powerful leader. But, he has become less popular as the country’s economic problems have gotten worse.
Egypt, which relies on importing a lot of wheat, was severely affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine after struggling with financial difficulties for many years. The value of the currency has decreased three times since the beginning of last year, and it has lost more than half of its value compared to the dollar. In August, prices increased a lot, almost 40%.
The president has been saying in his speeches that this year’s election is an opportunity to start over and make new beginnings. “We are about to start a new government that aims to finish the process of keeping the state alive and reconstruct it based on modern principles and democracy,” he announced.
Many Egyptians know that this election will not bring change, but instead more difficult times.