CAIRO (AP) — Egyptians cast their ballots Monday in the second day of voting in a presidential election that is certain to see President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi secure another term in office.
The vote, which began across this Mideast country on Sunday, has been overshadowed by the , on Egypt’s eastern borders. The vote is also taking place amid a in a nation of 105 million people where nearly a third live in poverty, according to official figures.
The crisis stems from mismanagement of the economy but also from the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing , which rattled the global economy.
El-Sissi faces no serious challenger, although there are three other candidates: Farid Zahran, head of the opposition Social Democratic Party; Abdel-Sanad Yamama, chairman of the Wafd Party; and Hazem Omar, head of the Republican People’s Party.
As of noon Monday, 45% of the citizens eligible to vote had cast their ballots, the ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ Election Authority said. More than 67 million people are eligible to vote in the election.
The voting ends on Tuesday, with a runoff scheduled for Jan. 8-10 if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, according to the same body.
El-Sissi came to power in 2014, a year after he, as defense minister, led the military removal of an elected but amid widespread street protests against his year of rule.
