The initial results of Egypt’s presidential election show a landslide win for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who faced no serious challenge, and a turnout hovering around 40 percent, pro-government media reported yesterday.
Egyptian authorities went to great lengths to bolster turnout in a bid to give the election legitimacy. Provincial governors and other officials promised incentives and financial rewards, and in some cases resorted to threats to get people to the polls. The National Elections Authority threatened fines of around USD30 for anyone boycotting the election, but similar warnings have been made in the past without being widely enforced.
Local media, which is dominated by pro-el-Sissi commentators, also urged people to vote, portraying it as a national obligation and warning against foreign plots to undermine stability.
The website of the state-run newspaper Al-Ahram said el- Sissi leads with around 92 percent. Official results are expected on April 2.
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