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Sisi presidency no answer for Egypt's troubles

The decision of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to run for president will have far-reaching consequences for Egypt.
A street vendor shows signs of Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi during celebrations of the third anniversary of Egypt's uprising in front of El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo January 25, 2014. Egyptian police fired live rounds in the air to disperse about 1,000 anti-government protesters in central Cairo on Saturday, a Reuters witness said, amid fears of violence on the anniversary of the 2011 revolt that ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh  (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS

For a couple of weeks after the July 3 military ouster of Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi, it seemed as though Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi might turn out to be another field marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. With the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) backing him to run for the presidency, Sisi has shown himself to be quite different from Tantawi.

His choices taken thus far already have lasting, far-reaching consequences for Egypt. Egypt observers agree that should he run, he is likely to win the presidency, and it is dubious that a strong parliament will emerge this year to check his authority. Political polarization is set to continue, and the repercussions for Egypt may be dire.

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