[...] to most Egyptians, among whom dream interpretation is commonplace, it only deepened an image of the country's most powerful figure — and very possibly its next president — as a spiritual man, in touch with the nation's traditions. The twist illustrates the seemingly inexorable momentum for Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to run for president in elections due in 2014, the crowning step in the transitional roadmap laid out by the military after the general removed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi from office and threw him in prison. For his supporters, he seems unable to do wrong. Since the July 3 coup, there has been a fervor for el-Sissi among the public, fed by a stream of support in pro-military media but also by a yearning among many Egyptians for a strongman savior who can bring stability after nearly three years of turmoil and instability. Faced with his soaring popularity, the Islamists have been striving to cast el-Sissi as a ruthless dictator, an enemy of Islam or an agent of America and Israel. El-Sissi also faces opposition from secular activists who are worried over the power of the military and believe that if he became president it will lead to a new autocracy like that of Hosni Mubarak, ousted in the 2011 revolution. Soft-spoken and known to be a pious Muslim, el-Sissi has also drawn supporters with youthful looks and energy — as well as emotional catchphrases unusual for a military man that he often drops into speeches. In others, he talks of the need to manipulate the press or calls for a clause in the constitution that would protect the defense minister from being removed by the elected president. [...] a clause did end up in the final draft of the revised constitution that is to be put to a referendum in January, drawing criticism from rights activists who say it entrenches the military as an independent political power, unaccountable to the civilian leadership.
Egypt: Leaks Help, Not Hurt, El-sissi's Image
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle: World
Fri, 12/20/2013 - 12:35am
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