Egyptian President el-Sisi wins third term in landslide victory

• President Sisi got 89.6% of votes (over 39 million).
• Turnout in Egyptian elections was 66.8%.
• Sisi is 5th president from Egyptian military ranks.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has won a decisive victory, securing a third term as the leader of the Middle East's most populous nation.

The National Elections Authority announced on Monday that Sisi garnered an overwhelming 89.6% of the vote in an election held between December 10 and 12, with an unprecedented turnout of 66.8%.

Over 39 million Egyptians cast their ballots in support of Sisi, a former army chief who has governed the nation for a decade. Despite various challenges, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and a severe economic crisis, the result of the election was widely anticipated.

The absence of serious opposition can be attributed to a decade-long crackdown on dissent, leaving Sisi as the dominant figure. In the election, he faced three other candidates, none of whom were high-profile contenders. 

The runner-up, Hazem Omar of the Republican People’s Party, received only 4.5% of the vote, while other candidates had marginal support.

Sisi's victory marks a continuation of his tightening grip on power since coming to office after the 2013 overthrow of Egypt’s first popularly elected president, Mohamed Morsi. The president was re-elected in 2018, winning with 97% support in both previous elections.

The constitutional changes during Sisi's rule extended the presidential mandate from four to six years and raised the limit on consecutive terms from two to three. 

Despite criticism and accusations of human rights violations, Sisi's supporters credit him with restoring calm after the upheaval that followed the 2011 uprising against President Hosni Mubarak.

As Sisi prepares to embark on his third and constitutionally final term in April, the election outcome reaffirms his dominant position in Egyptian politics, shaped by a decade of suppressing dissent and consolidating power.