Egypt's Sisi sweeps to third term as president with 89.6% of vote

Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has swept to a third term as Egypt's president, winning 89.6% of votes, election authorities said on Monday, and he called the vote a rejection of the "inhumane war" in neighbouring Gaza.

Some voters said the eruption of conflict in Gaza had encouraged them to vote for Sisi.

"Egyptians lined up to vote not just to choose their president for the next term, but to express their rejection of this inhumane war to the entire world," Sisi said in a speech soon after the results were announced.

He said Egypt had to do all it could to stop the war between Israel and Gaza's ruling Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, describing it as his country's primary challenge.

Voting in Egypt was held on Dec.10-12, with the state and tightly controlled domestic media pushing hard to boost turnout, which the election authority said had reached 66.8% - above the 41% recorded at the last presidential election in 2018.

He was elected to the presidency in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, both times with 97% of the vote. The constitution was amended in 2019, extending the presidential term to six years from four, and allowing Sisi to stand for a third term.

Some admire an infrastructure drive including a new capital built from scratch in the desert east of Cairo. Others see the city as a costly extravagance at a time when Egypt's debt has swollen and prices have soared.

"I renew my pact with you, to together exert every effort to continue building the new republic, that we hope to erect according to a shared vision," Sisi said in a taped speech aired on state television with little fanfare.

Sisi's backers say security is paramount, and that some groups have benefited under his rule.

That included women, though there is more to be done, said Nourhan El Abbassy, assistant secretary-general of the youth branch of the pro-Sisi Homat Al Watan party.

"We would love to see more females in key positions, more female ministers in the cabinet as long as they’re qualified, and revisions of personal rights laws that have to do with issues like marriage, divorce and alimony," she said.

Reuters