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Egypt's El-Sisi Wins Presidency Hands Down

CBN

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After four turbulent years, Egypt has a new president Thursday. With most of the votes counted, Egyptians chose former Army Chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as their next president by a landslide 23 million votes.

It's the second election in three years, following the overthrow of long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down in February 2011.

In June 2012 in what was billed as Egypt's first democratic election, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi became the country's next president.

But many Egyptians weren't happy with Morsi's attempts to impose the Brotherhood's radical Islamic agenda on the country. A year later, more than 30 million Egyptians took to the streets to demand his ouster.

Since then, an interim military government has run the country.

Sisi had been the frontrunner in the bid for the presidency even before he officially entered the race. Low voter turnout prompted officials to add an extra day to the standard two-day voting period. Officials say 44.4 percent of the nation's 54 million eligible voters cast their ballots.

Sisi's only challenger, Hamdeen Sabahi, received just 3 percent of the vote, with another 3.7 percent voided.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood rejected the vote, calling it more evidence of the army's takeover. Since Morsi's ouster, hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members have been put on trial.

Sisi, a popular former field marshal said he'll do whatever is necessary to get the country moving forward again.

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