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Egypt's President-in-Waiting

(Foreign Policy) Eric Trager - Despite the ubiquity of posters supporting former Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's presidential campaign, "Sisi-mania" is a myth. Instead, Egyptian politics are dominated by a sense of resignation - a feeling that there is simply nobody else. Make no mistake: Many Muslim Brothers want Sisi dead. According to retired Gen. Sameh Seif Elyazal, who has been among Sisi's most outspoken supporters in the Egyptian media, at least "2 to 3 million" Egyptians actively "hate" the former defense minister. "Everybody knows that he is a target." As a result, Sisi now sleeps in an undisclosed location. He will also send emissaries into the countryside to stump on his behalf, rather than making campaign appearances. Washington's well-intentioned push for greater political inclusiveness has no shot of success right now. The current regime views efforts to encourage democracy as an underhanded conspiracy to hasten Sisi's demise. The writer is a fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2014-04-29 00:00:00
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