Sarah Lynch

USA TODAY

Al-Sisi was a little-known military figure until he staged a power grab last July

Critics say an election would only formalize his rule after months of governing behind the scenes

Authorities claimed they have imposed harsh measures to fight terrorism

CAIRO — Egypt's army chief and defense minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi resigned from the military Wednesday, saying he will run in the first presidential vote to be held since he forced an Islamist leader out of power.

"This is my last day in a military uniform," al-Sisi said, wearing military fatigues in a televised speech. He vowed to always fight for Egypt.

"If I am honored to be the president I promise you we can, together, people and leadership, achieve stability in Egypt, security in Egypt, safety in Egypt, hope in Egypt," he said.

Hailed by many here as a strongman who can bring the country back to life, he is widely predicted to become the next president of Egypt.

Al-Sisi was a little-known military figure until he staged a stunning power grab last July that many celebrated as a second revolution and others reviled as an unjust coup.

Millions had taken to the streets in protest against Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader who was elected president of Egypt in 2012 but later criticized for failing to effectively govern. Among his opponents, Morsi was slammed for what they viewed as dictatorial political moves and conservative religious ideology.

After days of billowing unrest, al-Sisi took center stage as Morsi was swept into custody. The army chief announced a political roadmap on July 3 that called for fresh elections and a new constitution to replace one drafted under Morsi's rule. The legislature was dissolved, and a military-backed government was appointed.

Opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood immediately praised al-Sisi as a national hero who saved the nation from sliding into war, and from Muslim Brotherhood rule. Over the last nine months, many have expected his presidential bid while some avid fans have urged him to run for president.

"In a period of transition, any country, any state, is very fragile and can fall into civil war, chaos and anarchy," said Egyptian political sociologist Said Sadek. "During that period, people look for a strong leader, someone who can end the chaos."

"Sisi is the man of the hour," said Sadek, who plans to vote for al-Sisi.

Mammoth posters of him sporting a pair of black shades have sprouted up across the capital. T-shirts, necklaces, chocolates and cakes have carried his face and name and sandwiches were named after the leader.

Others, however, are staunchly opposed to his presidential run.

An election would only formalize al-Sisi's rule after months of him governing behind the scenes, said Youssof Salhen, spokesman for Students Against the Coup, which staged protests against the government on Wednesday. And repression would only continue if al-Sisi is named president, he said.

"The coup government and system punishes everyone against it — not only Islamists, but even seculars and liberals," Salhen said. "We are against the return of the military state and the security state, and it's worse now than the (Hosni) Mubarak era."

On Wednesday, al-Sisi urged Egyptians to work hard and said he will work toward a program aimed at building a modern and democratic state. He also said that now is not the time for excessive spending.

"Egypt deserves a better future," Salhen added.

Al-Sisi, 59, was raised in the Cairo district of El Gamaliya, an old quarter in the heart of the capital. A 1977 graduate of Egypt's Military Academy, al-Sisi has no combat experience but is a longtime military man who was chosen by Morsi — the same leader he ousted — to lead the armed forces.

He previously commanded infantry brigades, served as military attaché to Saudi Arabia and was chief of staff to the commander of the Northern Military Zone of Egypt. He was later named head of military intelligence — an asset that analysts said gives him clout in a nation facing rising militant violence, arms smuggling and porous borders.

If elected president, al-Sisi will likely emphasize security both domestically and in foreign policy, said Robert Springborg, an expert on Egypt's military and a visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at Kings College London. He is also likely to have a positive message, Springborg said.

"On the one hand it will be that Egypt is open for business, it's a good investment venue," Springborg said, adding that the Suez Canal zone will be touted as a bridge between Asia and Europe and as an area that will emerge as a global economic powerhouse.

"That will be coupled on the other hand with assurance being provided in quite symbolic ways to the poor… that their needs are going to be looked after," he said. "And I think the military will expand its provisions and goods and services to the poor."

Meanwhile, Egypt's leaders will do everything possible to avoid a discussion of reforms of food and energy subsidies, which eat a solid chunk of the budget, Springborg said.

In addition to seeing massive economic problems, al-Sisi will face deep political fissures that some analysts said would only worsen under his rule since he likely won't be open to political inclusiveness — leaving little room for real democracy.

"Sisi has become part of the problem, not part of the solution to the Egyptian crisis," said Egypt expert Khalil al-Anani, adjunct professor in the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Authorities in place since last July have sought to crush political opponents, focusing on the Muslim Brotherhood. Security forces killed over a thousand mostly peaceful protesters in attempts to silence dissent. Thousands of others — including journalists and academics — are sitting in jail. And many, including Morsi, are facing politically motivated charges such as espionage and terrorism-related accusations.

On Monday, an Upper Egyptian court sentenced more than 500 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death for killing a policeman and attacking police, sparking outrage from international observers and global rights groups which slammed the ruling as grotesque and shocking.

Authorities — with al-Sisi believed to be ruling behind the scenes — claimed they have imposed harsh measures to fight terrorism. But experts said there is no evidence linking the Brotherhood to recent militant attacks, which have spiked in recent months as some angered by the crackdown retaliate.

"Despite Egyptian officials' statements that the measures they are taking are necessary to stabilize the country, the opposite is true," the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Michele Dunne and Scott Williamson wrote in a recent report. "Egypt is a far more violent and unstable place than it was before July 2013 or indeed has been for decades, as government repression drives an expanding cycle of political violence."

As president, al-Sisi would not be immune to potential public backlash if security concerns are not resolved and if an economy struggling with rising unemployment, a high budget deficit and a sunken tourism industry fails to recover.

"Despite the fact that old institutions support him, the public might turn against him very soon — sooner than you might expect," al-Anani said. "Once he (resigns) from the army, from the military, he loses his political weight because he will be under more public scrutiny and criticism."

"He would be like another civilian running for presidency," he added.