El-Sisi, speaking at a televised event on Monday that extolled the state’s accomplishments over the past few years, said his decision came in answer to calls from the nation.
Egypt’s earlier-than-anticipated election comes as the North African nation is mired in its worst economic crisis in decades. Annual inflation is at a record high and authorities are racing to unlock more financing from a $3 billion International Monetary Fund program and state-asset sales to its Gulf allies and others.
“If the price of development and prosperity for the nation means we do not eat or drink, we will do it,” El-Sisi told a conference on Sept. 30, according to the state-run Ahram Online news website. In the run-up to El-Sisi’s announcement, crowds of his supporters gathered around notary offices across the country to endorse a bid. Under Egyptian law, presidential candidates need to secure either the backing of at last 20 members of parliament or 25,000 registered voters from 15 of Egypt’s provinces.