Al-Sisi faced with daunting mission

27 March 2014

If the ex-army chief is elected leader, he will have to ensure stability as well as a democratic government

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s resignation as army chief and confirmation of his bid for presidency on 26 March has been much anticipated. For many Egyptians, it is a welcome development as they see Al-Sisi as a national hero capable of making Egypt a more stable and prosperous place.  

For others, it brings back memories of former army-backed regimes and the prospect of an increasingly authoritarian rule. If he wins, Al-Sisi will have his work cut out to bridge these two groups and prevent the polarisation of Egyptian society. 

Egyptians are exhausted by the political instability, terrorism threats and economic stagnation their country has suffered since 2011, following the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak and the removal of President Mohamed Mursi in mid-2013.

Many are content to see a military-backed leader installed in exchange for stability. The prospect of Al-Sisi as leader also sits well with foreign investors eager to return to Egypt.

Yet, in the same week as the ex-army chief announced his presidential bid, news broke that an Egyptian court had sentenced more than 500 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death for their role in the protests in Cairo’s squares last year. The mass death sentence has shocked human rights groups and foreign governments. The sentence was no doubt intended as a warning to Brotherhood sympathisers, but it could further anger the already marginalised group and encourage terrorism.

If elected president this July, Al-Sisi will have to find a balance between making tough decisions to get Egypt back on track and at the same time avoid letting the country slip back into an authoritarian regime, which will inevitably sow the seeds for further political unrest.

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