El-Sisi leads Egypt presidential election

Cairo March 29 (IANS) Egypt s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is garnering a sweeping majority in the presidential election held earlier this week with a vote share of around 90 per cent preliminary results showed on Thursday.

Early estimates of turnout has varied from one governorate to another as vote counting began late on Wednesday after polls closed in a three-day vote reports Al Ahram news.

In Alexandria El-Sisi received around 88 per cent of the vote with a turnout of about 38 per cent.

In Daqahliya one of the country s most populated governorates El-Sisi received 85 per cent of the vote with almost 47 per cent of eligible voters casting their ballots.

El-Sisi is running against a sole challenger Ghad Party head Moussa Mostafa Moussa.

In the Nile Delta governorate Gharbiya El-Sisi obtained 90 per cent of the vote with a turnout of more than 50 percent according to state news agency MENA

El-Sisi was widely expected to win since little-known politician Moussa who had previously offered his support to his rival barely campaigned in the run up to the election.

The final results are expected to be officially announced on April 2.

The elections were supervised by nine Arab and international organisations and 50 local civil groups as well as the Arab League and the African Union.

--IANS
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