Al-Sisi’s second coming in Egypt

Presidential elections were held in Egypt between March 26 and 28 2018, and the National Elections Authority (NEA) in Egypt declared the sitting president and presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the winner after securing 97 percent per cent of total votes cast. Al-Sisi won 21,835,378 votes or 97.08 percent of valid votes, according to NEA, […]

Presidential elections were held in Egypt between March 26 and 28 2018, and the National Elections Authority (NEA) in Egypt declared the sitting president and presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the winner after securing 97 percent per cent of total votes cast. Al-Sisi won 21,835,378 votes or 97.08 percent of valid votes, according to NEA, after voters cast their votes over the three day period while Egyptians abroad voted on 16 March until 18 March.

The opposition Al-Ghad Party leader Moussa Mostafa Moussa, a little-known party leader who had supported him until a last-minute decision to enter the race, won 656,534 votes of total votes and the number of invalid ballots was 1,762,231 votes. Many say Moussa was compelled to run for presidency to lend the election a semblance of democratic competitiveness.

Sisi, the sixth president of Egypt, came to office in June 2014 after the June 30 Revolution, which toppled former President Mohamed Morsi, who is affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Prior to the elections, initially scheduled for May, there was an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, through a strategy of intimidation or coercion that has led to the detention of tens of thousands of people and, according to rights groups, killed over 1,400 people while hundreds were sentenced to death.

It is from this background that we are approaching our reaction to happenings in Egypt. In spite of numerous challenges, the outcome of the presidential elections was widely predictable and expected considering the lack of credible competitors. We therefore hope it will mark a radical and surprising change for Egyptian politics.

There was no doubt a lot of political drama leading up to the recent elections and the not too surprising victory of Sisi because many opposition politicians had called upon Egyptians to boycott the elections which they described as a ‘masquerade.’ but if history is any indication, it should serve as a warning to the precarious state of democracy not only in Egypt but Africa, that gives rise to a great deal of disappointments, rancor and bitterness.

Sisi has since come under fire by human rights groups for clamping down on civil liberties and dissent as he has continued to crack down on free speech and political opposition leading Human Rights Watch, in its annual 2017 report, to state that Sisi’s government has “maintained it’s zero tolerance policy toward dissent.” Egypt is a recipient of US military aid and has signed a peace deal with Israel; it is waging war against ISIS affiliated groups in the Sinai, has closed the Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza and has pressured Hamas to shut down the tunnels in Sinai that aid smugglers.

 Sisi should therefore leverage on opportunities offered   by his recent success to prevent Egypt from slipping into further instability. The system he superintends should make tremendous impact in the fortunes of Egyptians. Considering the manner in which potential aspirants were said to have been intimidated out of the race, Sisi must break ranks, reach out not only to the opposition but appeal to a broader spectrum in order to prevent another violence that could possibly claim more innocent lives that are usually the cannon fodder for inordinate and self-serving politicians.

The Egyptian people should have outlets to express legitimate dissenting political views and now that the election is over, all the parties should work together to guarantee stability, sustainability and instil discipline and adherence to principles and commitment   to   best   practices. This should enhance confidence and trust of the people who should be expected to participate at all levels of governance. That is the way forward; otherwise the country will be taken right back to the pre 2011 politics that sparked the revolution.