Image copyright AFP Image caption Supporters of President Sisi celebrated even before the polls closed on Wednesday

Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second four-year term, preliminary results suggest.

State media said Mr Sisi had secured a landslide victory against his sole challenger, Moussa Mustafa Moussa, winning more than 90% of the vote.

But initial estimates placed turnout among the 60 million eligible voters at about 41% - below that seen in 2014.

Opposition figures had called for a boycott after several potential candidates withdrew or were arrested.

Mr Sisi led the military's overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 following mass protests against his rule.

Since then, he has overseen what human rights groups say is an unprecedented crackdown on dissent that has led to the detention of tens of thousands of people.

Image copyright AFP Image caption President Sisi faced only one challenger after several others dropped out or were arrested

With Mr Sisi's re-election appearing certain before voting began on Monday, many analysts said turnout would be an important measure of his legitimacy.

It was 47% at the last election in 2014, when Mr Sisi won 97% of the vote.

The state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Thursday that Mr Sisi had won 92% of the 25 million ballots cast.

Mr Moussa - a little-known party leader who had supported the president's re-election until his last-minute decision to enter the race - got 3%, it added.

A source told Al-Ahram that 5% of the ballots had been spoiled, including by voters inserting the names of candidates not among the two approved.

Image copyright AFP Image caption More people appear to have spoiled their ballots than voted for Moussa Mustafa Moussa

In an attempt to boost turnout on the final day of voting on Wednesday, the election commission kept polling stations open for an extra hour.

It also warned that people who did not vote would be fined 500 Egyptian pounds ($28; £20) - a threat rarely acted upon in previous polls.

There were also reports that some people were offered incentives of money and food to cast their ballots, or promised improved public services.

A spokeswoman for the Sisi campaign told the BBC that it was a "one million per cent democratic process".

She said: "The evidence is that all the Egyptian people, including big numbers of youths and elderly, have come out to vote."

Mr Sisi hailed the participation of Egyptians in the polls on Wednesday night, saying it reflected "the greatness of the country".

"The votes of Egyptian masses will certainly remain a witness that our nation's will is strongly prevailing," a statement on his Facebook page said.

The final results are expected to be announced on Monday.

Last month, 14 human rights groups dismissed the poll as "farcical". They said the authorities had "trampled over even the minimum requirements for free and fair elections", stifling basic freedoms and eliminating key challengers.

Three potential candidates dropped out of the race, while a fourth - a former military chief - was arrested and accused of running for office without permission.

Mr Sisi insisted last week that the withdrawals were not his doing, telling an Egyptian TV channel: "I wish we had one, or two, or three, or 10 of the best people and you choose however you want."</s>Cairo: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been reelected for a second term with 92 per cent of the vote, state media reported today citing preliminary results.

Some 23 million of the 60 million registered voters turned out during the three days of polling that ended yesterday, state-owned newspapers Al-Ahram and Akhbar el-Youm, and the official MENA news agency reported.</s>CAIRO - Early results from Egypt’s election showed President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi cruising towards his expected landslide victory and a second term, but with a lower turnout than the vote that brought him to power four years ago.

As ballots are tallied for official results due on 2 April, the focus is on turnout since Sisi faced no credible opposition after a crackdown against serious challengers.

Critics say the contest recalled the kind of vote that kept Arab autocrats in power for decades before the 2011 Arab Spring.

Initial estimates by state media placed turnout at around 40% at most, well below the 47% of the vote that brought Sisi his first term in 2014.

The former military commander overthrew Islamist Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first freely-elected president, during turmoil in 2013 that followed a popular uprising, two years earlier.

Sisi was first elected in 2014 with 97% of the vote and has this time won around 92% according to preliminary results, state news agency MENA reported state-run newspapers as saying. It said between 23 and 25 million people had voted, out of an electorate of 59 million.

Authorities were keen to ensure a higher turnout this time around as Sisi saw attendance at polls as a referendum on his popularity and was seeking a strong mandate to fight militants and push through tough economic reforms.

State-run media trumpeted Sisi’s victory early on Thursday, predicting a “big turnout”, and radio programmes said that most of the voters were from Egypt’s fast-growing youth.

“The people have chosen their president”, the front page of state-run daily al-Ahram said.

Early indications from sources monitoring the vote, however, suggested turnout could be lower than in the 2014 election.

On the first two days of voting, turnout was about 21%, two sources monitoring the election said, and a Western diplomat said that late on Tuesday it was between 15 and 20%.

The two sources had said late on Wednesday the final turnout figure could be less than 40%.

It appeared that more people spoiled their ballots than voted for Sisi’s sole challenger, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, who has widely been dismissed as a dummy candidate, the sources said.

“All preliminary reports suggest that turnout is down compared to 2014 despite all the efforts that have been made to raise the numbers,” Timothy Kaldas, a non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said.

“But it’s not clear what consequence the turnout will really have on a government that doesn’t appear to believe the people should have a say in who rules them, to begin with,” he said.

Egyptian authorities and media outlets have tried to garner as many votes as possible, telling voters it is their duty, and portraying a failure to vote as a betrayal of their country.

Other tactics have also been deployed, with some voters saying they were paid and given other incentives to cast their ballots.

All serious opposition dropped out the election race earlier this year citing intimidation after the main challenger, another former military chief, was arrested. Egypt’s election commission said the vote would be free and fair, and Sisi said he wished more candidates had run.

Sisi’s presidency has returned the military to power after turmoil following the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak.</s>Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been reelected for a second term with 92% of the vote, preliminary results showed on Thursday, but turnout of just 40% dented his push for popular legitimacy.

Some 23 million of the 60 million registered voters turned out during the three days of polling that ended on Wednesday, state-owned newspapers Al-Ahram and Akhbar el-Youm, and the official MENA news agency reported.

According to Al-Ahram, in addition to the 23 million who cast valid votes, two million spoiled their ballot papers, inserting the names of candidates who were not among the only two approved.

Sisi’s sole challenger was the little-known Moussa Mostafa Moussa, himself a supporter of the president, who registered immediately before the close date for applications, saving the election from being a one-horse race.

Other, more heavy-weight would-be challengers were all sidelined, detained or pulled out.

Sisi, who as army chief ousted Egypt’s first freely elected president – Islamist Mohamed Morsi – after mass street protests in 2013, won his first term in 2014 with 96.9% of the vote.

Turnout of 47% in that year’s election was sharply higher than this year’s 40% despite appeals from Prime Minister Sherif Ismail for voters to fulfil their patriotic duty.

Boycotters who cannot show good reason for not going to the polls could face a fine of up to 500 Egyptian pounds (22 euros), the electoral commission has warned.

At a news conference, election commission official, Mahmud al-Sherif, said there had been no violations of Egypt’s election law.

Opposition groups had called for a boycott of this week’s vote which they labelled a facade.

There were no presidential debates and Sisi himself did not appear at any official campaign events, although he spoke at a number of ceremonies.

In an interview days ahead of the vote, Sisi said he had wished there were more candidates, denying any role in sidelining them.

At a speech before the vote he also called for a high turnout.

“I need you because the journey is not over,” Sisi told a mostly female audience. “I need every lady and mother and sister, please, I need the entire world to see us in the street” voting.

Morsi’s removal had ushered in a deadly crackdown that killed and jailed hundreds of Islamists.

The initial crackdown on Morsi’s supporters expanded to include liberal and leftist secular activists.

A jihadist insurgency since has killed hundreds of policemen and civilians.

Sisi gave the armed forces and police a three-month deadline in November to wipe out the Islamic State group in its Sinai Peninsula stronghold.

The deadline has since been extended, and on February 9 the armed forces launched their most comprehensive campaign yet to end the five-year-old jihadist insurgency.

But attacks by the jihadists have continued.

On Saturday, two policemen were killed in a car bomb targeting the provincial head of security for the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The security chief was unharmed.

Egyptian cities, especially Cairo, have been flooded with banners showing Sisi and messages of support from business owners. Posters vowing support for Moussa, 65, are rarely seen.

While still popular, Sisi has embarked on tough economic reforms that have been welcomed by foreign investors but dented his popularity at home.</s>CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian officials were counting votes on Thursday after an election set to hand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a second term following a crackdown on dissent that removed serious challengers.

As ballots are tallied for official results due on April 2, the focus will be on final turnout since Sisi faced no credible opposition. Critics say the contest recalled the kind of vote that kept Arab autocrats in power for decades before the 2011 Arab Spring.

The former military commander overthrew Islamist Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first freely-elected president, during turmoil in 2013 that followed a popular uprising two years earlier.

Sisi was first elected in 2014 with 97 percent of the vote, but with a modest turnout of about 47 percent.

Authorities have been desperate to ensure a higher turnout this time around as Sisi sees attendance at polls as a referendum on his popularity and seeks a strong mandate to fight militants and push through tough economic reforms.

Preliminary results showed Sisi is leading with 21.5 million votes, state-owned newspaper Akhbar el-Youm reported, a tally that would give him about a third of eligible voters.

State-run media trumpeted Sisi’s victory early on Thursday, predicting a “big turnout”, and radio programmes said that most of the voters were from Egypt’s fast-growing youth.

“The people have chosen their president”, the front page of state-run daily al-Ahram said.

Early indications from sources monitoring the vote, however, suggested turnout could be lower than in the 2014 election.

On the first two days of voting, turnout was about 21 percent, two sources monitoring the election said, and a Western diplomat said that late on Tuesday it was between 15 and 20 percent.

The two sources said late on Wednesday the turnout figure could be less than 40 percent.

Sisi was expected to win more than 90 percent of the vote, while it appeared that more people spoiled their ballots than voted for Sisi’s sole challenger Moussa Mostafa Moussa, who has widely been dismissed as a dummy candidate.

“All preliminary reports suggest that turnout is down compared to 2014 despite all the efforts that have been made to raise the numbers,” Timothy Kaldas, non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said.

“But it’s not clear what consequence the turnout will really have on a government that doesn’t appear to believe the people should have a say in who rules them to begin with,” he said.

Egyptian authorities and media outlets have tried to garner as many votes as possible, telling voters it is their duty, and portraying a failure to vote as betrayal of their country.

Other tactics have also been deployed, with some voters saying they were paid and given other incentives to cast their ballots.

All serious opposition dropped out the election race earlier this year citing intimidation after the main challenger, another former military chief, was arrested. Egypt’s election commission said the vote would be free and fair, and Sisi said he wished more candidates had run.

Sisi’s presidency has returned the military to power after turmoil following the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak.</s>Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been reelected for a second term with 92 percent of the vote, state media reported on Thursday citing preliminary results.

Some 23 million of the 6rcent of the vote, state media reported on Thursday citing preliminary results.0 million registered voters turned out during the three days of polling that ended Wednesday, state-owned newspapers Al-Ahram and Akhbar el-Youm, and the official MENA news agency reported.

According to Al-Ahram, in addition to the 23 million who cast valid votes, two million spoiled their ballot papers, inserting the names of candidates who were not among the only two approved.

Sisi's sole challenger was the little-known Moussa Mostafa Moussa, himself a supporter of the president, who registered immediately before the close date for applications, saving the election from being a one-horse race.

Other, more heavy-weight would-be challengers were all sidelined, detained or pulled out.

Sisi, who ousted Egypt's first freely elected president -- Islamist Mohamed Morsi -- after mass street protests in 2013, won his first term in 2014 with 96.9 percent of the vote.

Turnout of 47 percent in that year's election was sharply higher than this year's 40 percent despite appeals from Sisi for voters to fulfil their patriotic duty.

Boycotters who cannot show good reason for not going to the polls could a face a fine of up to 500 Egyptian pounds (22 euros), the electoral commission has warned.</s>Egyptian officials were counting votes on Thursday after an election set to hand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a second term following a crackdown on dissent that removed serious challengers.

CAIRO: Egyptian officials were counting votes on Thursday after an election set to hand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a second term following a crackdown on dissent that removed serious challengers.

As ballots are tallied for official results due on April 2, the focus will be on final turnout since Sisi faced no credible opposition. Critics say the contest recalled the kind of vote that kept Arab autocrats in power for decades before the 2011 Arab Spring.

The former military commander overthrew Islamist Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first freely-elected president, during turmoil in 2013 that followed a popular uprising two years earlier.

Sisi was first elected in 2014 with 97 percent of the vote, but with a modest turnout of about 47 percent.

Authorities have been desperate to ensure a higher turnout this time around as Sisi sees attendance at polls as a referendum on his popularity and seeks a strong mandate to fight militants and push through tough economic reforms.

State-run media trumpeted Sisi's victory early on Thursday after the election predicted a "big turnout", and radio programmes said that most of the voters were from Egypt's fast-growing youth.

"The people have chosen their president", the front page of state-run daily al-Gomhouria said.

Early indications from sources monitoring the vote, however, suggested turnout could be lower than in the 2014 election.

On the first two days of voting, turnout was about 21 percent, two sources monitoring the election said, and a Western diplomat said that late on Tuesday it was between 15 and 20 percent.

The two sources said late on Wednesday the turnout figure could be less than 40 percent.

Egyptian authorities and media outlets have tried to garner as many votes as possible, telling voters it is their duty, and portraying a failure to vote as betrayal of their country.

Other tactics have also been deployed, with some voters saying they were paid and given other incentives to cast their ballots.

Sisi ran against a sole challenger who openly supports him, after all serious opposition dropped out the race earlier this year citing intimidation and arrests.

Sisi's presidency has returned the military to power after turmoil following the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak.</s>Cairo (AFP) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with about 92 percent of the vote, preliminary results showed on Thursday, with just over 40 percent of voters casting ballots.

Twenty-five million of the 60 million registered voters, or some 41.5 percent, turned out during the three days of polling that ended Wednesday, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported. Twenty-three million voted for Sisi.

The Akhbar el-Youm newspaper did not report the full turnout but said Sisi won 21.4 million votes, and his rival Moussa Mostafa Moussa 721,000 votes, without mentioning the number of spoiled ballots.

According to Al-Ahram, in addition to 23 million who cast valid votes, two million spoiled their ballot papers.

Sisi's sole challenger was the little-known Moussa, himself a supporter of the president, who registered immediately before the close date for applications, saving the election from being a one-horse race.

Moussa conceded his loss on Wednesday night, telling a television station he had hoped for 10 percent of the vote.

"But I know the immense popularity of President Sisi," he said.

Other, more heavy-weight would-be challengers were all sidelined, detained or pulled out.

Sisi, who as army chief ousted Egypt's first freely elected president -- Islamist Mohamed Morsi -- after mass street protests in 2013, won his first term in 2014 with 96.9 percent of the vote.

Turnout of 47 percent in that year's election was sharply higher than this year's 40 percent despite appeals from Prime Minister Sherif Ismail for voters to fulfil their patriotic duty.

Sisi had praised the turn out.

"The vote by masses of Egypt will remain a testament, no doubt, that our nation's will imposes itself with strength and knows no weakness," Sisi said on his Twitter account late Wednesday.

Boycotters who cannot show good reason for not going to the polls could a face a fine of up to 500 Egyptian pounds (22 euros), the electoral commission has warned.

At a news conference, election commission official, Mahmud al-Sherif, said there had been no violations of Egypt's election law.

Opposition groups had called for a boycott of this week's vote which they labelled a facade.

There were no presidential debates and Sisi himself did not appear at any official campaign events, although he spoke at a number of ceremonies.

In an interview days ahead of the vote, Sisi said he had wished there were more candidates, denying any role in sidelining them.

At a speech before the vote he also called for a high turnout.

"I need you because the journey is not over," Sisi told a mostly female audience. "I need every lady and mother and sister, please, I need the entire world to see us in the street" voting.

Morsi's removal had ushered in a deadly crackdown that killed and jailed hundreds of Islamists.

The initial crackdown on Morsi's supporters expanded to include liberal and leftist secular activists

A jihadist insurgency since has killed hundreds of policemen and civilians.

Sisi gave the armed forces and police a three-month deadline in November to wipe out the Islamic State group in its Sinai Peninsula stronghold.

The deadline has since been extended, and on February 9 the armed forces launched their most comprehensive campaign yet to end the five-year-old jihadist insurgency.

But attacks by the jihadists have continued.

On Saturday, two policemen were killed in a car bomb targeting the provincial head of security for the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The security chief was unharmed.

Egyptian cities, especially Cairo, have been flooded with banners showing Sisi and messages of support from business owners. Posters vowing support for Moussa, 65, are rarely seen.

While still popular, Sisi has embarked on tough economic reforms that have been welcomed by foreign investors but dented his popularity at home.</s>CAIRO (Reuters) - President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi cruised towards a landslide election victory against no real opposition but early results showed a lower turnout than the vote that brought him to power in 2014, despite efforts to get more Egyptians to the polls.

The vote this week had long been set to hand Sisi a second term after a crackdown against serious contenders left one challenger, widely dismissed as a dummy candidate. Critics say the contest recalled the kind of vote that kept Arab autocrats in power for decades before the 2011 Arab Spring.

With the election seen by many, including Sisi, as a referendum on his presidency, the focus is on turnout which he has sought to support tough economic reforms and a fight against Islamist militants.

Critics say austerity and an unprecedented crackdown on dissent have eroded Sisi’s popularity, but supporters say such measures are needed to stabilise the North African country after years of unrest that followed a 2011 popular uprising.

The former military commander overthrew Islamist Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first freely-elected president, after protests against Mursi’s rule in 2013 and was elected a year later.

Early estimates by state media on Thursday placed turnout from three days of voting at little over 40 percent, well below the 47 percent of 2014. Sisi is expected to win more than 92 percent of votes, the state media said. He won 97 percent last time.

State-run media trumpeted Sisi’s victory early on Thursday, saying there was a “big turnout”, and radio programmes said that most of the voters were from Egypt’s fast-growing youth.

“The people have chosen their president”, the front page of state-run daily al-Ahram said.

Sisi said on his official Twitter account: “The images of Egyptians in front of polling stations makes me proud and is proof of the greatness of our nation.”

Authorities urged as many eligible voters as possible to cast their ballots, with state media portraying a failure to vote as betrayal of their country.

State news agency MENA reported state-run newspapers as saying that between 23 million and 25 million people had voted, out of an electorate of 59 million.

On the first two days of voting, turnout was about 21 percent, two sources monitoring the election said, and a Western diplomat said that late on Tuesday it was between 15 and 20 percent.

It appeared that more people spoiled their ballots than voted for Sisi’s sole challenger, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, who has widely been dismissed as a dummy candidate, the sources said.

“All preliminary reports suggest that turnout is down compared to 2014 despite all the efforts that have been made to raise the numbers,” Timothy Kaldas, non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said.

“But it’s not clear what consequence the turnout will really have on a government that doesn’t appear to believe the people should have a say in who rules them to begin with,” he said.

All serious opposition dropped out the election race earlier this year citing intimidation after the main challenger, another former military chief, was arrested. Egypt’s election commission said the vote would be free and fair, and Sisi said he wished more candidates had run.

Sisi’s presidency has returned the military to power after turmoil following the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak.</s>CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with about 92 percent of the vote, preliminary results showed on Thursday, with just over 40 percent of voters casting ballots.

Twenty-five million of the 60 million registered voters, or some 41.5 percent, turned out during the three days of polling that ended Wednesday, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported. Twenty-three million voted for Sisi.

The Akhbar el-Youm newspaper did not report the full turnout but said Sisi won 21.4 million votes, and his rival Moussa Mostafa Moussa 721,000 votes, without mentioning the number of spoiled ballots.

According to Al-Ahram, in addition to 23 million who cast valid votes, two million spoiled their ballot papers.

Sisi’s sole challenger was the little-known Moussa, himself a supporter of the president, who registered immediately before the close date for applications, saving the election from being a one-horse race.

Moussa conceded his loss on Wednesday night, telling a television station he had hoped for 10 percent of the vote.

“But I know the immense popularity of President Sisi,” he said.

Other, more heavy-weight would-be challengers were all sidelined, detained or pulled out.

Sisi, who as army chief ousted Egypt’s first freely elected president — Mohamed Morsi — after mass street protests in 2013, won his first term in 2014 with 96.9 percent of the vote.—AFP
State media reports preliminary indications incumbent President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has won 90% of the vote with a 41% turnout.