Egyptians yesterday voted in a presidential election expected to sweep former army commander General Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi into office, with supporters brushing aside concerns about human rights and hailing him as the strong leader the country needs.
Three years after the historic uprising against former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the vote is set to restore a pattern of rule by men from the military after al-Sisi toppled Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Voters lined up to cast ballots at heavily guarded polling stations from 9am on the first day of a two-day vote. Sisi faces only one challenger: the leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi.
“We see al-Sisi as a real man. Egypt likes a strong man,” said Saber Habib, clenching his fist to illustrate his point as he waited to vote in the city of Suez.
As he voted in Cairo, al-Sisi waved to supporters, who shouted: “President, President!”
“Today, Egyptians are going to write their history,” said al-Sisi, who is seeking a big turnout for a strong mandate.
The election is the seventh vote or referendum since the 2011 uprising that raised hopes for greater political freedoms. However, three years on, after a failed experiment with democracy, many Egyptians say stability comes first.
Al-Sisi won 95 percent of votes cast in advance by Egyptians overseas, but an opinion poll by the Washington-based Pew Research Center suggests a more mixed picture inside Egypt, with al-Sisi viewed favorably by 54 percent and unfavorably by 45 percent.
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