CAIRO (AP) — In his campaign for president, Egypt’s former army chief is casting himself as a strong-handed disciplinarian able to solve the nation’s mounting problems and turmoil with good planning and efficiency, swinging between big-hearted shows of sympathy for Egyptians’ woes and a military man’s impatience with dissent and chaos.

Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s appearances so far have been tightly controlled, including meetings with selected groups and a prerecorded two-part interview with pro-military TV channels aired Monday and Tuesday. That is likely to be his method throughout his campaign for the May 26-27 vote, with few if any street appearances, a style that has raised criticism from supporters and opponents alike.