Last major challenger to Egypt's Sisi calls off campaign after arrest
CAIRO - The last challenger seen as a potential threat to the re-election of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was detained on Tuesday, and halted his campaign after the army accused him of breaking the law by running for office without permission.
Former military chief of staff Lieutenant General Sami Anan, who had announced his candidacy last week, was taken to the Military Prosecutor's office in Cairo, according to his son and one of his lawyers, who were waiting outside the building.
An army statement read aloud on state TV said Anan's presidential bid amounted to "a serious breach of the laws of military service", because as a military officer he was required to end his service and seek permission before seeking office.
Anan's spokesman denied he had broken any laws. The charges "come from an inaccurate reading of Anan's announcement," Hazem Hosni told Reuters just after the arrest, without elaborating. Nevertheless, the campaign announced Anan was halting his bid.
"To be banned by the state to enter the elections... (means) that the state doesn't want to hold an election," Anan's spokesman Hosni said.
