Egypt's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi allegedly said in comments published in a Kuwait paper yesterday he has decided to run in the presidential election scheduled by mid-April.
But, Egypt's army said yesterday the newspaper "misinterpreted" remarks by Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi saying he would announce such a decision only to the Egyptian people.
Kuwait newspaper Al-Seyassah ran an interview with Sisi yesterday in which he was quoted as saying, "Yes, the matter has been decided and I have no choice but to respond to the call of the Egyptian people."
"What was published by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah is nothing but journalistic interpretations that are not direct declarations from Field Marshal Sisi," army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali said in a statement.
Sisi's "decision to run or not for the presidency is a personal decision that he will announce personally before ... the Egyptian people and not anyone else, through clear and direct words" Ali added in his statement.