Egypt's Sisi secures third term with nearly 90 percent of vote

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi secured a third term as Egypt's president winning 89.6% of the vote in a contest overshadowed by the war in Gaza and a domestic economic crisis, the National Elections Authority said on Monday.

Sisi was running against three other candidates, none of whom were high profile, in a vote widely viewed as neither free nor fair.

The most prominent potential candidate ended his run complaining that his campaign had been impeded and dozens of his supporters arrested.

Some voters said that the eruption of conflict in Gaza had encouraged them to vote for Sisi, who has long presented himself as a bulwark of stability in a volatile region - an argument that has appeared effective with Gulf and Western allies providing financial support to his government.

Voting in Egypt was held over three days on  10-12 December, with the state and tightly controlled domestic media pushing hard to boost turnout above the 41 percent recorded in the last presidential election in 2018.

Sisi, a former general, has overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent across the political spectrum since leading the 2013 overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected leader, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

He was elected to the presidency in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, both times with 97 percent of the vote.

For anyone who cares, the results of Egypt's presidential election are in. Sisi wins with 89.6%. In 2019 the constitution was amended to lengthen 4-year term to 6 years & to allow Sisi to run for an additional term. First elected in 2014, Sisi will now remain in office until 2030

— Sharif Kouddous شريف عبد القدوس (@sharifkouddous) December 18, 2023

The constitution was amended in 2019, extending the presidential term to six years from four, and allowing Sisi to stand for a third term.

Authorities have sought to address criticism of Egypt's human rights record by opening a national dialogue and releasing some prominent prisoners, steps critics have dismissed as largely cosmetic.

Reporters Without Borders has also ranked Egypt 166 out of 180 countries in its press freedoms index.

Many Egyptians expressed indifference about the election, saying the result was a foregone conclusion.

(Reuters)