President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a stern warning yesterday against calls to boycott the upcoming presidential poll, threatening “to take strong action against anyone trying to disrupt the country’s stability,” the Associated Press reports. “In a thinly veiled warning to critics, [El Sisi] vowed there won’t be another uprising against the government on his watch,” according to Bloomberg, saying that “the things that happened seven or eight years ago won’t be repeated in Egypt.” Reuters also has coverage. El Sisi’s statements come one day after opposition parties and figures called on voters to snub the March election to protest the two-man candidate lineup. Dar Al Iftaa had issued an edict yesterday declaring the boycott a sin for Muslims.

El Sisi calls for a second “Tafweed”? El Sisi said he might call on Egyptians to take to the streets once again to give him a second mandate (or “Tafweed”) if it becomes evident that “the forces of evil” are directly threatening the nation. El Sisi last called for mandate in 2013 which preceded security forces breaking up Ikhwani protests in support of deposed President Mohamed Morsi (watch, runtime 7:29). El Sisi said that a second mandate is necessary as it would require “new procedures” to combat these forces.