News that Defence Minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi would run for Egypt's presidency is ‘utterly false,' according to a statement released on Friday by Field Marshal.

An interview with military spokesman Ahmed Ali on Daily News Egypt (DNE) sparked rumours that El-Sisi will be a presidential candidate in the upcoming presidential elections.

El-Sisi is "currently a soldier in the armed forces and does not aspire to any other role," Ali stated in the interview published on Thursday. "Assuming that he retired and people suggested he ran for presidency, is this not the democratic process?"

Following the interview, many speculated that El-Sisi would run in the next presidential elections. Some political figures were quick to denounce the move stating that Egypt should have a civilian president.

"El-Sisi is proud of leading the great establishment of the army, and the role it played and is still playing to protect the Egyptian national security through the ages," the statement read, affirming that he is "not looking for more than that."

El-Sisi called on media outlets to be accurate and cautious during "this critical stage in our nation's history."

The Daily News Egypt published a clarification, which Ali shared on Facebook along with El-Sisi's statement, stating that the question was asked "because of El-Sisi’s rising popularity on the streets."

"What colonial Ali was explaining is that the military institute does not control who runs for presidential elections even if he was ex-military," the statement added.

The Daily News Egypt also called on media outlets to "be thorough in their coverage of such sensitive matters and to analyse the interview as a whole, instead of sensualising what the DNE has not reported."

El-Sisi gained popularity after the removal of president Morsi on 3 July, to the content of millions who took to the streets demanding Morsi’s resignation.

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