Cairo ( CNN ) -- Egypt 's military was quick to quash a newspaper report Thursday that quoted army chief Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi as saying he will run for president . The interview appeared in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasa earlier Thursday . And in it , El-Sisi appeared to confirm what many have long considered a foregone conclusion : that he 'll run for president . `` The decision has been made , '' he is quoted as saying . `` I have to fulfill the people 's demands . '' `` We do n't have a magic wand but we will not tamper with the people 's dreams and aspirations , '' he added . `` Let 's hold our hands together and work for the country . '' Soon afterward , the army responded . `` What was published in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasa is merely journalistic speculation and not a direct statement from Field Marshal El-Sisi , '' it said in a statement . If he does run , El-Sisi will have to resign his military post . But with no clear contender , his chances of winning the presidency are high . He will become the sixth military leader to rule Egypt since its independence . The only one who was democratically elected , Mohamed Morsy , was ousted by the military on July 3 after months of mass protests against his rule . The interim government has not yet set a firm date for elections ; candidates can officially declare themselves on February 18 . A most adored man . If one man can claim the title of Egypt 's most-adored , it would be El-Sisi . Many Egyptians speak of him reverentially . `` A hero , '' or `` a man of respect '' are some of the terms thrown around . `` If he could be my father , that would be great , '' said a repairman who gave his name as Mahmoud . Last week , Egypt 's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces gave El-Sisi its blessing to run , calling his candidacy `` a mandate and an obligation . '' The same day , he was promoted from general to field marshal . He was defense minister under Morsy . Urging caution . But not everyone is enamored . It was El-Sisi who announced Morsy 's ouster , sparking wild celebrations . It was El-Sisi who oversaw the appointment of Egypt 's interim leaders . Rights groups say talk of an El-Sisi run should n't be cause for celebration , but reasons to worry . `` One has to be a little more worried about a return to military dictatorship , '' said political analyst Sarah Eltantawi . `` This country has been under military dictatorship since 1952 . Anyone during that period who tried to organize politically , democratically was jailed and stymied in one way or another. `` Allegations of abuse . The Egyptian army has long been marred by allegations of abusing its power . It was accused of beating and killing protesters who took to the streets to demand then-President Hosni Mubarak 's ouster . And when Morsy supporters demonstrated , the army was accused of doing the same . Furthermore , El-Sisi is the same general who defended the use of virginity tests on female protesters . They were meant to shield soldiers from false accusations , he told state media . Grievances gone . But for many Egyptians , the grievances are gone . `` People 's livelihooods have really plummeted in the past year , two years , `` said Eltantawi . `` They want stability and the only form of stability that several generations of Egyptians have had have been in the form of the military . '' For now , like it or not , the military seems to be playing a central role in post-revolution Egypt where establishing democracy is still the stated goal . But the path to getting there is n't always democratic . CNN 's Reza Saya reported from Cairo ; Hamdi Alkhshali from Atlanta .
`` I have to fulfill the people 's demands , '' he says . His chances of winning are very high . He is Egypt 's most-adored man . The next day at his campaign headquarters in Cairo, a group of young men and women from different political parties gather around him for an impromptu meeting with their leader.