Sisi wins second four-year term in Egyptian presidential election

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Egypt's Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has been elected president for a second four-year term, the election commission announced at a news conference on Monday.

He won 97 percent of the vote in a landslide re-election victory, with a turnout of 41 percent, beating his sole rival Moussa Mustafa Moussa.

Sisi was first elected in 2014, also with 97 percent, with a 47-percent turnout.

Sisi won 21.8 million votes compared with 656,534 that his opponent, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, whose tally was less than the 1.8 million spoiled ballots, secured.

Thousands of Egyptians waving flags celebrated the victory in several of the country's governorates just after the results.

Supporters of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi celebrate in Cairo's Tahrir Square following his re-election for a second term, April 2, 2018. /VCG Photo

"The sight of Egyptian citizens from all walks of society lining up was impressive and inspiring," Sisi said in a speech to the nation.

Critics have said the lower turnout is a potential setback for Sisi, who suggested before the vote that he saw it as a referendum on his presidency rather than a genuine contest.

The election has revealed "obvious problems related to participation and the reluctance of young people (to vote)", said a statement from politician Mohamed Anwar Sadat, a candidate who withdrew in January, citing intimidation of his supporters.

Read more: Egypt's presidential election opens with little suspense

His supporters say those measures are needed to stabilize the country, which faces a stubborn Islamic State insurgency in the northern Sinai Peninsula and which was rocked by unrest after the 2011 uprising that ousted veteran leader Hosni Mubarak.

Sisi led the 2013 military overthrow of Egypt's first freely-elected president, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, after protests against Mursi. Sisi swept to victory in an election a year later with 97 percent of the votes.

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