CAIRO, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi submitted on Saturday his nomination papers to the National Election Authority (NEA) as a candidate in the presidential elections that will be held later this year, the NEA said in a statement.
Sisi's campaign submitted more than 1,130,000 endorsement forms from citizens and 424 recommendation forms from members of the House of Representatives supporting Sisi's candidacy for a third presidential term, according to the NEA, far more than the required 25,000 endorsements or 20 recommendations.
Sisi, 69, officially announced on Monday running for president in the vote scheduled for Dec. 10 to 12. Former parliamentarian Ahmed el-Tantawy is widely seen as Sisi's main challenger in the presidential race.
Sisi assumed the presidency in 2014, a year after the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi by the Egyptian military. Morsi's removal followed widespread protests against his one-year presidency and his association with the Muslim Brotherhood, later banned and designated in Egypt as a terrorist organization.
In 2018, Sisi secured a second term, and in 2019, constitutional amendments extended presidential terms from four to six years, and exceptionally allowed Sisi to run for a third term. ■
