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.

There are rumors claiming that Moussa had submitted a report to the National Elections Authority charging that Sisi’s campaign had breached a restriction on campaigning just before the elections, since Egyptians abroad voted March 16-18. In an official statement, Moussa denounced the rumors as “attempts by enemies of the nation to drive a wedge between the two candidates.”

There are also rumors that Moussa isn't seriously running for election, but joined the race at the last minute to give the appearance of competition in the hopes of boosting the election's credibility and increasing voter turnout. Moussa denied the rumor, but he has admitted as much in the past. He is a longtime Sisi supporter.