President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wins the presidential election in Egypt

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wins the presidential election in Egypt

Kyiv  •  UNN

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was re-elected to a new six-year term with 89.6% of the valid votes cast, amidst the fact that his country is facing significant economic challenges, including high external debt and inflation, as his country faces significant economic challenges, including high foreign debt and inflation.

The current head of Egypt was re-elected for a third term with 39.7 million votes, which is 89.6 percent of the valid votes. This was announced on Monday by the National Election Authority of Egypt (NEA), UNN reports.

Details

In the general elections held on December 10-12, more than 39 million 702 thousand Egyptians out of a total of about 44 million 777 thousand votes. Voter turnout reached 66.8% of Egypt's 67 million voters.

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The convincing victory was to some extent expected, as during  his previous electoral triumphs in 2018 and 2014, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received 97% of the popular vote both times.

As Al-Sisi has already served two four-year terms, his new path to victory was facilitated by a constitutional amendment adopted in 2019, an amendment to the Constitution that extends the term of of the presidency from 4 to 6 years. Thus, the president has the right to lead the country until the country until 2030.

Al-Sisi has won, but Egypt is on the brink.

According to a study by the Washington Post, Egyptian media, almost entirely state-owned, praised Al-Sisi's achievements, giving little airtime to his three rivals.

The only serious Al-Sisi's only serious opponent, former MP Ahmed Tantawi, failed to get on the ballot; Tantawi's family members and campaign staff have been arrested or harassed. were arrested or harassed, and last month he was charged with charged last month in what human rights groups have described as politically politically motivated.

After another victory, al-Sissi will face many difficult challenges ahead, the newspaper notes.

According to analysts, the first priority will be to keep Egypt from going to war in Gaza and preserving the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which requires working with public opinion on the problems of Palestine.

Egypt's economy is heavily dependent on tourism and imports, with structural problems and at its lowest level in decades. This has been affected by the effects of the pandemic, Russia's war against Ukraine, and the fighting in Gaza.

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The government has taken out significant loans to finance large-scale infrastructure and construction projects. Some Egyptians say the new roads and bridges have eased congestion in the greater Cairo area, which is home to nearly a quarter of Egypt's 105 million where nearly a quarter of Egypt's 105 million people live. But the country's foreign debt the country's foreign debt has reached nearly $165 billion, 40 percent of gross domestic product. gross domestic product. In the first three months of fiscal year 2023, interest payments amounted to 60% of government spending.

Next year. Egypt has to pay back at least $42 billion to its creditors. According to a to a recent Bloomberg rating, it is the second country in the world that could default on its on its debt obligations, after Ukraine.

It is indicated that the current inflation rate is 34.6%; it is almost twice as high for food higher. Amid the currency crisis, Egyptians are hoarding dollars or selling them on the the black market.

Now people expect prices to double after his victory

- said a 47-year-old housewife and mother of three in Bulak al-Dakrour.

In fact, the entire period of Sisi's presidency was characterized by an endemic series of economic crises, says Timothy Kaldas, deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

  And it's not just economic hardship, it's humiliation. While all this is happening, Egyptians are watching the regime enrich itself

- he added. 

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