In a decisive electoral outcome, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt has secured a third term, attaining 89.6 percent of the vote, as reported by the national election authority on Monday. The election, held from December 10 to 12, was anticipated, given President Sisi’s extensive campaign against a limited field of relatively unknown candidates.
According to the Egyptian constitution, this victory, marking his third consecutive term, will commence in April and extend for six years. Despite facing a challenging economic climate characterized by a currency devaluation and soaring household prices, as well as heightened regional tensions from the Israel-Hamas conflict in neighboring Gaza, President Sisi emerged victorious.
The country is grappling with an annual inflation rate of 36.4 percent, resulting in increased prices for essential food items, impacting the budgets of households in Egypt, a nation with nearly 106 million inhabitants. Even prior to the ongoing economic crisis, approximately two-thirds of the population were living on or below the poverty line.
President Sisi’s uncontested re-election is attributed to a decade-long suppression of dissent, effectively eliminating any substantial competition. He is the fifth president of Egypt to emerge from the military ranks since 1952.
This marks the third time in a decade that President Sisi has secured a landslide victory, albeit with his narrowest margin. In both 2014 and 2018, he garnered over 96 percent of the vote.
Retired field marshal Hazem Omar, leading the Republican People’s Party, secured the second position with 4.5 percent of the vote. Subsequently, Farid Zahran, leader of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and Abdel-Sanad Yamama from the Wafd party, a century-old but relatively marginal party, followed.
The election authority reported an “unprecedented” turnout at 66.8 percent of the 67 million registered voters, a notable increase from 41 percent in 2018 and 47 percent in 2014. However, in much of Cairo, signs of the election were predominantly represented by ubiquitous campaign posters for President Sisi, while other candidates were notably scarce.
President Sisi, a retired army field marshal, initially assumed office in 2013 after leading the ousting of elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Over the years, he extended the presidential mandate and amended the constitution to allow a third consecutive term.
Despite economic challenges and a crackdown on dissent, President Sisi has maintained a significant level of support. His administration has witnessed the imprisonment of tens of thousands of political opponents, contributing to the shrinking space for dissent.
The opposition, though significantly diminished, gained some momentum ahead of the election before attention shifted to the Gaza war. Two main opposition figures, initially expected to participate, are now either imprisoned or awaiting trial.
President Sisi’s popularity, once characterized by “Sisimania,” has waned since his first election. Nevertheless, he is acknowledged for restoring public order after a period of Islamist political unrest following the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.
In pursuit of loans from the International Monetary Fund, President Sisi implemented economic reforms from 2016 onward, leading to severe austerity measures and multiple currency devaluations. Despite expensive mega projects, such as a $58 billion-dollar new capital city, Egypt’s debt has more than tripled.
A critical factor in the economic downturn is the severe foreign currency shortage, driving up consumer prices due to the reliance on dollars for virtually all imports. Nearly a decade after promising security and prosperity, the Egyptian economy is facing significant challenges.
While the election was initially expected in the spring of 2024, experts suggest that President Sisi aimed to secure a third term before potential currency devaluation, a move that could further fuel public discontent.
Ref: AFP
