Reuters mentioned in a report published Friday that Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is closer than ever to run for president after preliminary results of the referendum on the new constitution showed it was ratified with a sweeping majority.
Voting on the constitution is widely seen as a vote of confidence on Sisi, whose supporters believe in him to restore stability, according to the report.
The vote is also a sign of a widespread yearning to the return of stability, after almost three years of violent unrest that paralyzed the economy, it added.
Although authorities described the road map as a path to democracy, they detained Islamists and activists who participated in the 25 January revolution, the report mentioned.
The report pointed out that although Western countries have criticized the crackdown launched by the government, they put little pressure on Cairo because they wanted to balance strategic interests that have to do with privileges of the Suez Canal and the peace treaty with Israel.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
