CAIRO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that if he runs for president it must be at the request of the people and with a mandate from the army, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported on its website.

Sisi is widely expected to run for president but has yet to make an announcement of his intentions. This statement was the first indication that he might run.

"If I run then it must be at the request of the people and with a mandate from my army... we work in a democracy," he said.

In July the army ousted the country's first democratically elected leader, Islamist Mohamed Mursi, after mass protests against his one-year rule. It then appointed an interim president and outlined a roadmap for democratic transition. (Reporting by Asma Alsharif and Omar Fahmy; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)