Sisi re-elected in 'landslide victory' with 'no opposition'

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has won a second, four-year term with more than 97 percent of the vote in last week's essentially uncontested election, with a turnout of just 41.5 percent, the election committee said.

Lasheen Ibrahim, the head of the country's election commission, announced the official results on Monday, days after Egypt’s state media predicted that Sisi won with 92 percent of the vote.

Sisi faced no serious challengers, after a string of potentially strong candidates withdrew under pressure or were arrested. His sole opponent, little-known politician Moussa Mustafa Moussa, was a supporter of the president who made no effort to challenge him. He won 2.92 percent of the vote.

Authorities went to great lengths to boost turnout, using the state's vast resources to get voters out and threatening to fine anyone boycotting the election.

Cairo came under global condemnation after cracking down on criticisms of the electoral process in the months running up to the elections.

An Egyptian newspaper was been fined 150,000 Egyptian pounds ($8,527) by Egypt's media regulatory body and is being investigated over a front-page report it published saying the state rallied voters to participate in the presidential election.

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation said it has called for an investigation into al-Masry al-Youm by the Press Syndicate, naming its chief and news editors specifically, and demanded that the daily issue an apology to the National Election Authority.

Egypt ranks 161 out of 180 countries in press freedoms according to watchdog Reporters Without Borders' 2017 Press Freedoms Index.

Sisi contested the election without any serious rivals, after other contenders were arrested or pressured into pulling out of the race.