Egypt’s Sisi wins 97% in presidential election, turnout at 41%

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been reelected as Egyptian president with 97 percent of the vote, according to official results published on Monday. The former military commander secured the same proportion four years ago for his first term, Reuters said. The turnout this year was lower at 41 percent. Sisi had been virtually guaranteed a landslide win, confirmed by early tallies as voting ended on Wednesday. There was only one other candidate – himself an ardent Sisi supporter – after the main challenger was arrested and other contenders halted their campaigns in January. Sisi said he had wanted more candidates to run and that he had had nothing to do with the opposition withdrawals. The president suggested before the vote that he saw it as a referendum on his presidency rather than a genuine contest.