Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has signed a law stipulating that officers may not be nominated, whether they are in service or those whose services have ended for the presidential, parliamentary or local elections, except after the approval of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The new law, in the matter of appointing the Minister of Defense, provided the approval of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in accordance with the rules and procedures determined by the President of the Republic.

Experts and analysts believe that the law comes to prevent the nomination of former or current military personnel, similar to what happened in the last presidential elections, when the former army chief of staff, Sami Annan (later released), and Brigadier General Ahmed Qunswa (serving a 6-year prison sentence) had announced their intentions to run for presidential elections. The authorities arrested Annan and Quswa for allegedly violating the law and announcing the candidacy without obtaining written permission from the military.