Egypt Calls December Presidential Vote as Economic Woes Mount
- President Sisi hasn’t said if he will run for a third term yet
- Soaring prices have pressured the nation of 105 million
An Egyptian casts his vote during the 2018 election in Giza.
Photographer: Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Egypt will hold its next presidential election in December, with the vote taking place earlier than expected as authorities face pressure to devalue the currency and take other steps to end an economic crisis and unlock funding from the International Monetary Fund.
Until recently, it was widely expected that the polls wouldn’t take place until the first few months of next year, with Egyptian state media typically referring to an election in 2024. The government’s plans changed in recent weeks and Bloomberg reported on Sept. 14 that it was considering elections as soon as December.