CAIRO — A wave of rumors captivated Egyptians on March 26 as presidential elections began as scheduled in a race between incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and challenger Moussa Mostafa Moussa, the president of El Ghad Party.
On March 20, the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center denied seven rumors that have been circulating, raising controversy in the media and confusing citizens. The most prominent rumor is that commodity prices will surge in May during Ramadan. The rumor also claims the government intends to stop subsidizing commodities for citizens whose monthly salaries exceed 2,500 Egyptian pounds ($143) by withdrawing their food-ration cards.