Al-Sisi headed to victory in the Egyptian Presidential election held under the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war

By Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI—Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi is heading to a resounding victory in the 2024 presidential election held under the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war in the neighbouring Gaza Strip in Palestine. Al-Sisi’s prospects have been strong since the beginning, as a large number of Egyptians have supported his warning against Israel’s intention to push the residents of Gaza across the Rafah border into the Sinai desert.

The voting took place from December 10 to 12, with four candidates in the fray. According to the Egyptian Constitution, if no candidate gets an absolute majority in the first round, a run-off takes place subsequently. With al-Sisi likely to get the majority, as his voter share exceeded 80% in the preliminary results released on December 13, the polling in the second round will not be required.

Al-Sisi will comfortably defeat his three challengers, who are Farid Zahran (Social Democratic Party), Abdel-Sanad Yamama (Al-Wafd Party) and Hazem Omar (Republican People’s Party). While the final results will be officially announced on December 18, the preliminary figures indicate a decisive victory for the incumbent President.

This week’s polling has marked the fifth multi-party Presidential election held in Egypt since 2005, and the third since the 2013 revolution. Approximately 6.70 crore citizens were eligible to vote in this historic election, which was conducted across 11,631 sub-committees under the watchful eyes of 15,000 judges. This will be Al-Sisi’s third six-year term as the President on his victory.

The National Elections Authority (NEA) granted access to 24 Embassies, 14 international organizations, 62 local civil society groups and over 500 media outlets to observe the elections and ensure transparency. Additionally, polling committees were established for expatriates to guarantee their right to vote regardless of their location.

As the incumbent President, Al-Sisi has faced the growing discontent of people with soaring inflation And a severe domestic economic crisis, but the war in Gaza near the country’s north-eastern border took the spotlight away from all of these issues. His loyalists have been promoting him as a guarantee of stability in Egypt amid the regional turmoil. However, annual inflation currently stands at over 38%, with the import-dependent economy suffering from severe foreign currency shortages after the Egyptian pound lost half its value in a year.

Al-Sisi has stated that any migration of Gazans to the Egyptian territories will undermine the Palestinian cause and warned that displacing Palestinians will turn Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula into a launchpad for attacks against Israel. Al-Sisi, a former Army chief, had deposed President Mohammed Morsi in 2013, two years after the 2011 uprising.

The Egyptian government has publicized the election as a step towards political pluralism since a large number of activists and Islamists in the country have been imprisoned or forced into exile, while the media has been mostly controlled by Al-Sisi’s loyalists. The authorities have sought to address criticism with the steps for opening a national dialogue and releasing some of the prominent prisoners.

The President has emphasized the stability and security of Egypt during the ongoing war in Gaza. The 2024 election has gained significance with its role in determining the country’s progress toward democratic transformation, party pluralism and political competitiveness. It was held for more than a year after the launch of the national dialogue, which included all components of Egyptian politics, union and civil society.

International monitors have criticized Egypt’s human rights record under Al-Sisi’s rule, accusing the government of repressing political freedoms during a crackdown in which thousands of people, many from former President Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, have been jailed.

Egypt’s fast-growing population of 10.4 crore is struggling with soaring prices and other economic pressures, with some people complaining that the government has prioritized costly mega-projects while taking on more debt. As the nation awaits the outcome of the election, the dichotomy between those seeking security and stability under Al-Sisi and those disillusioned by economic challenges and political restrictions present the complex situation in Egypt.