High turnout as Egyptians abroad start voting
CAIRO: Egyptian expatriates around the world began voting on Friday for their next president, ahead of March 26-28 elections at home expected to hand incumbent Abdel Fattah el-sisi a landslide victory.
Sisi is challenged by Moussa Mostafa, a little-known politician and a staunch supporter of the president.
Friday’s voting was conducted at Egyptian diplomatic missions in 124 countries, an election commission said.
High voter turnout was registered in the early hours of Friday, mainly in Arabian Gulf countries where large numbers of Egyptians are living, the commission’s head, Lasheen Ibrahim, said in Cairo without giving figures.
“Voters have queued in large numbers in front of [Egyptian] embassies and consulates, especially in the Arab countries,” Ibrahim added, according to state-run newspaper Al Ahram.
State television showed images of voters, many carrying the Egyptian flag, queuing to cast their ballots in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Japan.
Voting outside Egypt will conducted through Sunday.
According to official statistics, there are almost 10 million Egyptians living abroad. Nearly 6 million of them are eligible voters.
The election commission has said anyone older than 18 can vote, if they can provide identity cards.
Apathetic younger voters and a be crackdown on the opposition have raised expectations of a low voter turnout, prompting Sisi on Thursday to urge Egyptians to vote in large numbers. Potentially serious challengers pulled out of the presidential race or were barred.
Detractors have said Mostafa’s last-minute bid to run for office, filed in January, was aimed at sparing Sisi’s government the embarrassment of a single-candidate election — an allegation Mostafa denies.
The official result of the election is expected to be announced by April 2.
Sisi came to power in 2014, one year after he led the overthrow of the country’s first democratically elected — but divisive — president, Mohammed Mursi of the Brotherhood.
The Egyptian president can serve a maximum of two four-year terms, according to the constitution.
Friday’s voting in presidential elections was conducted at Egyptian diplomatic missions in 124 countries, an election commission said