Egyptian armed forces chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has given the clearest signal yet that he will run for president, saying he cannot ignore the demands of the "majority", Cairo's state news agency reported on Tuesday.
Sisi, who toppled Egypt's first freely elected president, Islamist Mohamed Morsi, said "official procedures" concerning his candidacy were expected in the coming days.
Sisi, widely expected to win the presidency of the Arab world's most populous country, was speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Cairo war college.
Most Egyptians regard him as a decisive figure who can end the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since a popular uprising backed by the military toppled autocratic president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
In his speech, Sisi said Egypt was witnessing difficult times that required the unity of the people, army and police, according to the state news agency MENA.
REUTERS