Egypt's polls close with Sisi heading for a third term as president

CAIRO, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Egypt's election drew to a close on Tuesday night, with incumbent President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi widely expected to cruise to a third term in office against the backdrop of a withering economic crisis at home and the war in Gaza next door.

Sisi, the 69-year-old former army general who initially seized power in a 2013 coup, is facing no serious challengers and looks certain to extend his reign until 2030.

Rights groups have slammed his administration's decade-long crackdown on dissent, which Amnesty International said had been stepped up ahead of the election

Sisi's most prominent opposition candidate, former member of parliament Ahmed al-Tantawy, halted his campaign in October after claims of systematic harassment and intimidation of his supporters -- charges Egypt's national election authority has denied.

The remaining competitors were the relatively obscure Farid Zahran of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party; Abdel-Sanad Yamama of the Wafd Party; and Hazem Omar of the Republican People's Party.

All across Cairo, the image of Sisi's inevitability was reinforced with posters, banners and billboards featuring his visage hanging on nearly every street. Almost as ubiquitous were police in riot gear, stationed alongside armored vehicles surrounding Tahrir Square, the site of the Arab Spring revolution of 2011 that ousted strongman President Hosni Mubarak.

The three-day election, which began on Sunday, comes with nearly 30% of Egypt's 105 million people living in poverty, according to official figures.

Power cuts have become a regular occurrence and millions are struggling to afford basic necessities amid soaring inflation that registered at 34.5% in November. At the same time, the Egyptian pound has lost roughly 50% of its value against the U.S. dollar since March of last year.

With the outcome virtually certain, the only suspense around the election will be in the turnout, which would give Sisi's government at least the aura of a stronger mandate.

As of Monday, some 45% of the 67 million eligible voters had cast ballots, election officials said -- an increase over 2018, when just 41% voted.

Public discourse had remained largely muted, however, in the days leading up to the polls.

"No one is talking about the election," said one shop clerk, who asked to remain anonymous due to security concerns.

Rather it is the war in neighboring Gaza that has galvanized public attention since October, with calls to boycott Western products and rare street protests that emerged in support of Palestine before being stifled by authorities.

"Economic issues are still the main course and first priority for most Egyptians, especially the poor and middle class," Sameh Rashid, a Cairo-based analyst of regional affairs, told UPI.

"However, they are narrowly following the war in Gaza and sympathize with the Palestinian civilian's tragedy," he said.

Sisi rose to power in 2013 after overthrowing the democratically elected Mohamed Morsi of the Islamist party Muslim Brotherhood. He ran for president in 2014 and 2018, winning both elections with massive landslides. In 2019, his government passed constitutional amendments that extended his four-year term to six years and allowed him to run for a third time.

Official results are due to be announced on December 18.