CAIRO: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swept on Monday (Dec 18) to a 3rd time period as Egypt’s president in an election the place he confronted no critical challengers, calling the vote a rejection of the “inhumane battle” in neighbouring Gaza.
The election, through which he took 89.6 per cent of the vote in response to the Nationwide Election Authority, was held as Egypt struggles with a slow-burning financial disaster and tries to handle the danger of spillover from the battle adjoining to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Many individuals within the Arab world’s most populous nation expressed indifference concerning the Dec 10 to Dec 12 election, saying the consequence was a foregone conclusion.
The state and tightly managed home media pushed onerous to spice up turnout, which the election authority mentioned had reached 66.8 per cent – properly above the 41 per cent recorded on the final presidential election in 2018.
Some voters mentioned the battle had inspired them to vote for Sisi, who has lengthy introduced himself as a bulwark of stability in a risky area – an argument that has additionally proved efficient with Gulf and Western allies offering monetary assist to his authorities.
“Egyptians lined as much as vote not simply to decide on their president for the subsequent time period, however to precise their rejection of this inhumane battle to all the world,” Sisi mentioned in a speech quickly after outcomes had been introduced.
He described the battle between Israel and Palestinian Islamist motion Hamas as Egypt’s main problem.
Israel’s heavy bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip, after a Hamas incursion into Israel, has flattened a lot of the enclave and left most of its folks homeless. Egypt has mentioned it is not going to permit any cross-border exodus of Gazans.
The election featured three different candidates, none of them excessive profile. Essentially the most outstanding potential challenger halted his run in October, saying officers and thugs had focused his supporters – accusations dismissed by the election authority.
“There have been no elections, Sisi used all the state equipment and safety companies to forestall any critical contender from even working,” mentioned Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Private Rights (EIPR), an impartial group.
“Identical to final time he handpicked his opponents who solely went by means of the motions of working towards the president with both muted or nearly no criticism of his disastrous insurance policies.”
Reuters reporters witnessed voters being bussed into polling stations and baggage of meals being handed out, whereas some mentioned they had been pressured by employers to solid a poll. The state media physique mentioned any provision of cash or items in return for votes was a legal offence.
Egypt’s state media physique mentioned the vote was a step in the direction of political pluralism and authorities have denied violations of electoral guidelines.
