Ammar Ali Hassan, a researcher in political sociology, told the Cairo 360 satellite program that Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi deals with his candidacy for the presidency the same way he deals with a situation of war.
He added that this does not mean Sisi is definitely running in the presidential elections, although there are signs to that effect.
He said Sisi appeared in civilian attire during his visit to Russia, which means he was preparing the local and the international public to see him in a different attire than the military uniform which made him popular.
Yet he pointed to some restrictions. “Sisi knows that it is a heavy legacy, that public opinion is variable, and that the position of defense minister is more important than the president,” he said.
“He knows that a leader is a social choice while a president is a political office,” he added, contending that everyone knows Nelson Mandela but nobody knows the president of South Africa.
“Sisi may choose not to run in the elections for the sake of national interest,” he said. “He would have to explain that openly if he decides it.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
