Egypt Election: El-Sisi Leads With Wide Margin

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Thursday, May 29th, 2014

Oyewale Oyelola

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former Egyptian Army Chief is leading as votes counting begins after Egypt presidential election the lasted for three days-Monday to Wednesday.

According to electoral commission Sisi has polled 91.8 percent of votes casted in 50 percent of polling stations as at Thursday morning.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former Egyptian Army Chief leads in presidential election

Sisi only opponent leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi polled 4 percent of the valid votes.

African Examiner correspondent who monitored the election says the turnout was low as 44.4 percent of Egypt’s 54 million voters participated in the poll. The low turnout was attributed to boycott of the election by millions of Muslim Brotherhood supporters who feels the election was el-sisi ploy to legalise his military take over, after the ouster of Mohammed Morsi last year.

Fireworks erupted in Cairo when Sisi’s results began to emerge and his supporters waved Egyptian flags and sounded car horns on the crowded streets of the capital.

About 1,000 people gathered in Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and raised hopes of a democracy free of influence from the military.

“We are joyful because Sisi got so many votes, the results will come after an hour, we are here to celebrate,” Kawther Mohamed, who went to Tahrir with her daughters, told Reuters news agency.

Sisi, 59-year-old career infantry officer headed the military that topple Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year, after massive protests against Morsi regime.

Morsi was democratically elected in 2012 after Hosni Mubarak who ruled Egypt for three decades resigned due national protests against his rule in the wake of Arab Spring uprising in 2012.