The paper reported on Thursday that Sisi said he had no alternative but to meet the demands of the Egyptian people by running for office in the presidential elections. The first elections since the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi are set to take place in six months.

This is the first time Sisi has admitted his intention to run for president. He had earlier indicated that he was interested in the position.

"If I run then it must be at the request of the people and with a mandate from my army...We work in a democracy," he said last month.

The army’s top body backed its commander in his aspiration. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said last week that "the people's trust in Sisi is a call that must be heeded as the free choice of the people."