Egypt: Sisi gets 89.6% of vote, wins third term as president

The National Election Authority declared on Monday that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had easily won 89.6% of the vote in an election in which he had no credible opponents, earning him a third, six-year term as president of Egypt. Egypt, which borders Gaza and is experiencing a slow-burning economic crisis, held the poll while attempting to control the possibility of a spillover from the conflict there. Some voters claimed that the escalation of the violence in Gaza had influenced their decision to back Sisi, who has long positioned himself as the guardian of stability in a turbulent area. This narrative has also proven successful, as evidenced by the financial assistance that his administration receives from Gulf and Western friends. Egypt held a three-day election on December 10–12, with a strong push from the government and tightly regulated domestic media to increase turnout, which the election administration reported had achieved 66.8%, over the 41% recorded during the country’s previous presidential election in 2018. There were three more candidates in the race, although none of them were well-known. The most well-known possible rival withdrew from the race in October, claiming that his followers had been singled out by authorities and thugs. The National Election Authority rejected these claims. Former general Sisi led the toppling of Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s leader in Egypt, in 2013, and since then, he has presided over a broad crackdown on opposition from all political persuasions. With 97% of the vote, Sisi was re-elected to the presidency in 2018 after being elected in 2014. In 2019, the constitution was changed to let Sisi to run for a third term and increase the length of the presidency from four to six years. Some others applaud an infrastructural push that includes the construction of a brand-new capital in the desert to the east of Cairo. Others view the city as an expensive luxury at a time when prices have skyrocketed and Egypt’s debt has increased. The government has taken action to address criticism of Egypt’s human rights record, freeing several well-known detainees and initiating a national dialogue. The changes have been written off by critics as mainly cosmetic. (With agency inputs)