Egyptians went to the polls yesterday, which will result in the almost certain victory of incumbent President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as powerful candidates were prevented from running for the presidency. The only remaining contender was Mousa Moustafa Mousa who had previously expressed support for el-Sissi.
Although el-Sissi's victory was clear as the only powerful candidate who had conducted a nation-wide election campaign, his main fear was the apathy of voters. Despite the fact that he had popular support to an extent in previous years, his government's disastrous policies, which have deteriorated the economic situation as well as created a state of fear, have led to a panic resulting in TV and radio stations as well as prominent figures, including the Mufti, to commence a fierce campaign.
Even it has even been claimed that poor people were offered money to go to the ballot boxes and vote for el-Sissi. In pre-revolution Egypt, it was very common for autocratic leaders to win elections with very low participation rates. Pointing out the decline of el-Sissi's popularity, an Associated Press (AP) report said: "But that aura faded over the last four years, which could explain a clampdown ahead of the election on the media and critics. In the Sinai Peninsula, an insurgency that gained strength after Morsi's overthrow and is now led by Daesh has only grown more ferocious, with regular attacks on security forces and deadly church bombings.
An assault on a mosque in November killed more than 300 people — the worst terror attack in Egypt's modern history. The government has meanwhile enacted a series of long-overdue economic reforms — including painful subsidy cuts and the floating of the currency. That improved the investment climate and earned Egypt a $12 billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund. But the austerity measures sent prices soaring, exacting a heavy toll on ordinary Egyptians, especially the more than 25 percent living below the poverty line. If there have been few public signs of discontent, it is likely because of a massive crackdown on dissent."
El-Sissi has somehow eliminated other candidates. Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shefik, one of the most powerful figures in Egyptian politics, explained his absence by saying in the beginning of January: "My absence of more than five years perhaps distanced me from being able to closely follow what is going on in our nation in terms of developments and achievements, despite the difficult conditions. I have seen that I will not be the ideal person to lead the state's affairs during the coming period. Thus, I have decided not to run in the upcoming 2018 presidential elections."
Former military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sami Anan, who had announced his candidacy in January, was arrested shortly after under the pretext of violating the laws of military service. According to Egyptian law, any candidate needs to receive approval from the army. Considering that el-Sissi was the army chief before leading a bloody coup in 2013, his influence in the army is very high and decisive on giving approvals.
El-Sissi ascended to power in 2013 after he, then army chief, overthrew Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammad Morsi. A large crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and other dissident voices has paved the way for an even worse era for Egypt than the pre-revolution era.
