Ex-military chief of staff to run in Egyptian presidential election

CAIRO – Former military chief of staff General Sami Anan will run in Egypt's upcoming presidential election, the party he leads said on Thursday, days after the most serious potential challenger to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pulled out.

An election commission said on Monday Egypt would hold the vote on March 26-28, with a run-off on April 24-26. Candidates must register between Jan 20 and 29.

"The party leaders took a decision for General Sami Anan's candidacy and informed him of the decision and there was no problem at all and no objection," from him, said Sami Balah, the secretary general of the Arabism Egypt Party.