Sisi Re-elected as President of Egypt with 89.6% of Votes for the Third Time

Abdel Fattah Sisi has been re-elected as President of Egypt for the third time in an election where there was no serious competitor. Egyptian election officials announced his victory on Monday. According to Reuters, he referred to the election results as a rejection of the 'inhumane war' in Gaza. Based on the announcement from the National Election Authority, Sisi received 89.6% of the votes. The elections were held while Egypt is grappling with a crisis of slow economic growth and trying to manage the risk of spillover from the war into the Sinai Peninsula. Some voters stated that the outbreak of conflict in Gaza encouraged them to vote for Sisi. Sisi has long portrayed himself as a stabilizing force in an unstable region. In a speech immediately following the announcement of the results, he said that Egyptians not only chose their president for the next term but also used the election to express their opposition to this 'inhumane war.' He stated that Egypt must do everything possible to stop the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which governs Gaza, describing this as the main challenge for his country. Israel launched an assault on Gaza following Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 6. The elections in Egypt took place from December 10 to 12. The heavily controlled government and media made significant efforts to increase voter participation. According to Egyptian election officials, 66.8% participated in this election, compared to a 41% turnout in the last presidential election in 2018.