06/05/2014 10:26
Egypt's Sisi vows Muslim Brotherhood 'will not exist'
Egyptian presidential favourite and former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has vowed that the banned Muslim Brotherhood group "will not exist," should he win, the BBC reported.
In his first interview with Egyptian TV, he added that two assassination plots against him had been uncovered.
Mr Sisi removed Egypt's first democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi from power last July.
He is widely expected to win the presidential election on 26-27 May.
Mr Sisi had denied he had any political ambitions when he ousted President Morsi and launched a crackdown on the Brotherhood - which supported him - last year.
In a joint interview with Egypt's privately owned CBC and ONTV television channels on Monday, he said: "I want to tell you that it is not me that finished (the Brotherhood). You, the Egyptians, are the ones who finished it."
Asked whether the Brotherhood would cease to exist if he should gain the presidency, the former military leader - dressed in a suit - answered: "Yes. That's right."
He said there had been two attempts to assassinate him, but added: "I believe in fate, I am not afraid."
He did not provide details of who was behind the alleged plots or how advanced they were.
Mr Sisi also denied being the candidate of the army, saying "the army would not have a role in ruling Egypt", and he defended a controversial new law that puts severe restrictions on the right to protest.