CAIRO: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has won to a third, six-year term as Egypt's president, winning 89.6% of votes, the National Election Authority announced on Monday.
The election took place as Egypt struggles to manage the risk of spillover from the war in Gaza, which borders Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Some voters said 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 also proved effective with Gulf and Western allies providing financial support to his government.
Voting in Egypt was held over three days 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.
Egypt's state media body has said the vote was a step towards political pluralism and authorities have denied violations of electoral rules. Sisi 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.
Many admire an infrastructure drive including a new capital built from scratch in the desert east of Cairo.
Sisi's backers say security is paramount, and that some groups have benefited under his rule.
That included women, said Nourhan ElAbbassy, Assistant Secretary-General of the youth branch of the pro-Sisi Homat AlWatan 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.
Authorities have sought to address criticism of Egypt's human rights record with steps including opening a national dialogue and releasing some prominent prisoners.
Reuters reporters who covered the vote in Cairo, Giza, Suez and the Sinai Peninsula witnessed people in to some polling stations and lingering outside them waving national flags or banners as patriotic music played. — Reuters
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
