Egypt’s ex-army chief declared new president
An Egyptian supporter of Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the nation’s former military chief, wears a toy tank on his head as he holds a poster showing him with images of late presidents Anwar Sadat, top left, Gamal Abdel Nasser, top right and Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour, bottom right, during a celebration in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, May 30, 2014. AP
CAIRO — The Election Commission says former army chief Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi won Egypt’s presidential elections by a landslide victory of 96.9 percent of the vote, with turnout 47.45 percent.
Anwar el-Assi, the commission’s president, said el-Sissi received 23.78 million votes, while his sole rival, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, got 3 percent of the vote.
After the announcement, several hundred people gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square set off fireworks, cheered and sang pro-military songs.
El-Sissi’s victory was never in doubt, but the career infantry officer had pushed for a massive turnout as well to bestow legitimacy on his ouster last July of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and the ensuing crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist supporters.
RELATED STORIES
Article continues after this advertisementVote on charter defines Egypt’s post-Morsi future
Article continues after this advertisementEgypt court resumes trial of Jazeera journalists amid outcry
Hundreds reported killed as Egypt smashes protests
