Egypt army mandates al-Sisi's bid for presidency

Supporters of Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi holds a poster of Sisi in Tahrir square in Cairo, on the third anniversary of Egypt's uprising, on Jan 25, 2014. Egypt's military on Monday gave the green light for its commander Abdel Fat
Supporters of Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi holds a poster of Sisi in Tahrir square in Cairo, on the third anniversary of Egypt's uprising, on Jan 25, 2014. Egypt's military on Monday gave the green light for its commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, to run for the presidency, state media reported. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt's military on Monday gave the green light for its commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, to run for the presidency, state media reported.

General al-Sisi, who will resign from the army to stand for office, is tipped to easily win a presidential election due to be held by mid-April, with no serious rivals.

"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces by consensus mandated the defence minister (Sisi) to stand in presidential elections," the official MENA news agency reported.

Mr Mursi, the country's first democratically elected president, had appointed General al-Sisi as his defence minister in 2012.

The army chief deposed the president in July after millions took to the streets demanding the Islamist's resignation, after a turbulent year in power.

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