Egypt's Sisi lowers expectations for change

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians should not expect instant democracy or rapid economic reforms, but should pull together for shared sacrifice. That is the sober message being delivered by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who toppled Egypt's first freely-elected leader last year and is now poised to be elected president later this month.

The former army chief stepped squarely into the public eye this week with a lengthy televised interview and other public remarks. His words seem carefully calibrated to appeal to Egyptians' hunger for stability and to draw a line under the era of rapid transformation since the 2011 revolt that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.