El-Sisi expects endorsement for his ongoing mandate
Polling stations will be open for three days and Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a former military commander, has urged Egyptians participate, hinting that he sees the election as a referendum on his four-year rule.
While many Egyptians regards the U.S.-allied leadership as vital factor to stability in a country where unrest since 2011 has hurt the economy, critics say he has presided over Egypt’s worst ever crackdown on dissent and have dubbed the vote a charade.
General El-Sisi (63), who led the military coup d’état of Egypt’s first democratically elected President Mohamed Mursi in 2013, has cast his bid for a second term as a vote for stability and security.
However a low turnout could suggest El-Sisi enters legitimacy crisis, undermining value of his mandate, needed to revive the economy, struggling after the 2011 revolution to attract tourists and foreign investors, abandoning the country after turmoil.
