Egyptian Presidential Election; Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Seeks to Maintain Power Until 2030

The Egyptian presidential elections are set to take place from December 10 to 12, and according to estimates, the current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is considered the leading candidate despite widespread repression of opponents and a weak economic and security record. A victory for el-Sisi in this election would mean that the former commander-in-chief of the Egyptian army could hold power until 2030. He amended the Egyptian constitution in 2019, extending the presidential term from four years to six years. In a report, France 24 noted that more than a decade has passed since el-Sisi overthrew Egypt's first democratically elected president, the Islamist Mohamed Morsi, and he continues to rule the country with an 'iron fist.' Meanwhile, both el-Sisi's opponents and supporters are convinced that he will win this year's presidential election, as his victories in 2014 and 2018, with over 96% of the votes, leave little room for doubt about the likelihood of another win. Reuters also reported that critics of el-Sisi consider the upcoming election 'unrealistic,' stating that while there is no doubt about the election results, economic pressures, including rising prices, have led to public dissatisfaction. Khaled Dawood, a prominent member of the 'Democratic Civil Movement,' a coalition of parties and figures opposing el-Sisi, stated, 'Politically, the Gaza war was a godsend, despite all the miseries... it allows the entire presidential election story to be sidelined... This is an extraordinary opportunity for the president to gain support for himself, especially during an economic crisis.' While el-Sisi has announced that his election campaign will be limited to saving resources for aid to Gaza, large posters of him can still be seen along streets and buildings in various cities in Egypt. The entry of 180 trucks of humanitarian aid to Gaza coordinated by the U.S. and Egypt, Egyptian security sources: negotiators are close to an agreement to extend the ceasefire in Gaza, Egypt is helping to evacuate 7,000 dual nationals from Gaza, the Egyptian president: the region could become a 'ticking time bomb,' meeting of the Egyptian president with the CENTCOM commander; increasing global efforts to 'restore stability' to the region, Jake Sullivan's meeting with the Egyptian president in Cairo; bilateral relations and the situation in Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq were among the topics of discussion.