CAIRO
Resigned defense minister and likely presidential contender Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Monday formally submitted the documents required for his presidential candidacy to Egypt's presidential elections commission.
A legal advisor to al-Sisi submitted the documents, including thousands of written endorsements from ordinary citizens, at the commission's Cairo headquarters, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter.
Egypt's newly-approved constitution makes it necessary for presidential hopefuls to collect written endorsements from 25,000 citizens in order to run in presidential polls.
Egypt plans to hold parliamentary elections following presidential polls – the latter of which are slated for May 26-27 – according to the terms of a transitional roadmap imposed by the army following last July's ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi.
On Monday, written endorsements for al-Sisi arrived to elections commission headquarters on four trucks, an AA reporter said.
According to an al-Sisi campaign source, some 300,000 people have officially endorsed the former top general's candidacy.
Egyptian state television, however, reported that al-Sisi had collected 200,000 citizens' endorsements.
Al-Sisi's main electoral rival, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabbahi, has yet to submit his candidacy application.
By Hagar al-Dosoki
englishnews@aa.com.tr
