Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who toppled Mohammad Morsi, took more than 90 percent of the vote in a presidential election, provisional results showed on Thursday, But a lower-than-expected turnout figure raised questions about the credibility of a man idolized by his supporters as a hero who can deliver political and economic stability.
Sisi won 93.3 percent of votes cast, judicial sources said, with most ballots counted after three days of voting.
Most Egyptian newspapers, who have been showering Sisi with praise for months, celebrated the result, with state-run Al-Akhbar calling it “a day of hope for all Egyptians”.
The former army chief also gained the support of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The wealthy Gulf Arab states pumped billions of dollars of aid into Egypt, keeping the economy afloat.
“Egypt and Saudi Arabia can work together to face threats, either internally like the Muslim Brotherhood, or externally like Iran and its supporters in the area,” said Mohammed Zulfa, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, an appointed body that advises the government.
“I think the Saudis will do all they can to support Sisi now he has been elected as he was supported by the Egyptian people,” he added.