5 Egyptian Parties Announce Support for Sisi in Presidential Elections

Banners supporting Sisi in the upcoming presidential elections (Free Egyptians Party)
Banners supporting Sisi in the upcoming presidential elections (Free Egyptians Party)
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5 Egyptian Parties Announce Support for Sisi in Presidential Elections

Banners supporting Sisi in the upcoming presidential elections (Free Egyptians Party)
Banners supporting Sisi in the upcoming presidential elections (Free Egyptians Party)

The Conference and the Arab Nasserist parties announced their support for President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the upcoming presidential elections, bringing the number of political blocs backing his reelection to five.

Those also include, the Future of a Nation, which holds the majority in the parliament, the Free Egyptians and the Homeland Defenders.

The head of the National Elections Authority, Walid Hamza, said the candidacies for the presidential elections were likely to be opened soon, after the completion of the logistical preparations for the electoral process, and the establishment of international and local monitoring regulations.

The deputy head of the Conference Party, Dr. Magdi Morshed, said during televised statements on Friday that the party’s decision to support Sisi for a new presidential term was based on a “full conviction” of the importance of maintaining the political leadership’s endeavor “to build a new republic.”

The Nasserist Arab Democratic Party also announced its support for Sisi “to complete the march of achievements... despite the difficult global economic conditions.”

In addition to Sisi, four potential candidates are likely to run for the presidential race. Those include, former MP Ahmed Tantawi, president of the Independence Movement Ahmed Fadali, head of the Wafd party Abdel-Sanad Yamama, and the Republican People’s Party chief, Hazem Omar.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, MP Mostafa Bakry, pointed to a national consensus among the parties over Sisi’s reelection.

While Bakri confirmed that opening the door for candidacy “will take place within a few weeks,” he said that this step will be linked to “important measures,” including “judicial supervision of the elections, local and international oversight, as well as media coverage.”



Israeli Strikes Hit North Lebanon Crossings with Syria for First Time, Minister Says

 Syrians carry their luggage as they cross on foot into Syria through a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike to cut the road between the Lebanese and the Syrian checkpoints, at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP)
Syrians carry their luggage as they cross on foot into Syria through a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike to cut the road between the Lebanese and the Syrian checkpoints, at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP)
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Israeli Strikes Hit North Lebanon Crossings with Syria for First Time, Minister Says

 Syrians carry their luggage as they cross on foot into Syria through a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike to cut the road between the Lebanese and the Syrian checkpoints, at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP)
Syrians carry their luggage as they cross on foot into Syria through a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike to cut the road between the Lebanese and the Syrian checkpoints, at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP)

Israeli strikes late on Tuesday targeted Lebanon's three northern border crossings with Syria for the first time, Lebanon's caretaker transport minister Ali Hamieh told Reuters.

The strikes came hours before a ceasefire took effect to halt hostilities between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel.

Hamieh said it was not immediately clear whether the roads had been cut off as a result of the strikes. Israeli raids on Lebanon's eastern crossings in recent weeks had already sealed off those routes into Syria.

Syria's state news agency reported four civilians and two soldiers were killed, and 12 people were wounded including children, women and workers in the Syrian Red Crescent.

The Red Crescent said earlier a volunteer was killed and another was injured in "the aggression that targeted Al-Dabousyeh and Al-Arida crossings ... as they were performing their humanitarian duty of rescuing the wounded early on Wednesday."

The strike damaged several ambulances and work points, it added in a statement.

Syrian state TV reported the Israeli strike hit the Arida and Dabousieh border crossings with Lebanon.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It has previously stated that it targets what it says are Iran-linked sites in Syria as part of a broader campaign to curb the influence of Iran and its ally Hezbollah in the region.

Separately, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that it struck an Iranian-aligned militia weapons storage facility in Syria in response to an Iranian-aligned attack against US forces in the country on Monday.